civilian
gb/səvˈɪljən/ us/səvˈɪljən/
B1
Inglés
~ 8200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B1
entity
1
person not in the military
A person who is not in the army, navy, air force, police, or other uniformed service.
Patrón de uso:
a/the civilian [does something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse "civilian" with "civil". "Civilian" is about people who are not in the military or police. "Civil" usually relates to citizens, laws, or polite behavior (civil law, civil rights, civil behavior), not specifically to non-military people.
Sinónimos
noncombatant (More formal; often used specifically about people who are not fighting in a war.)
|
non-military person (More descriptive and less idiomatic; clearly contrasts with military members but is less common as a set term.)
Antónimos
soldier (A basic, common word for a member of an army, the opposite of a civilian in a military context.)
|
service member (A more general term for anyone serving in the armed forces, opposite to a civilian.)
Colocaciones
ordinary civilians
|protect civilians
|target civilians
|civilians and soldiers
|civilians were killed
Temas
war
|society
|politics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The city was evacuated to keep civilians safe from the fighting.
- Several civilians were injured when the bomb exploded near the market.
- After ten years in the army, he left and became a civilian again.
- Aid workers helped civilians who had lost their homes in the conflict.
- The law applies to both soldiers and civilians.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Many civilians ran away from the war.
- The government must protect civilians in this area.
- He worked as a soldier, but now he is a civilian.
- Civilians cannot enter this military base.
- The bus was full of civilians and a few soldiers.
adjective
B2
property
2
relating to non-military people
Talking about people or things that are not in the army, police, or other uniformed groups.
Patrón de uso:
[civilian] [noun]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say "normal life" or "private life" when they specifically mean life outside the military. "Civilian life" clearly contrasts life in the armed forces with life as an ordinary person.
Sinónimos
non-military (Very close in meaning; often used for equipment or activities rather than people (e.g. non-military use).)
|
civil (Overlaps in some contexts (civil courts, civil government), but "civil" is broader and also covers non-criminal law and polite behavior.)
Antónimos
military (Describes people, things, and activities belonging to the armed forces, the direct opposite of "civilian" in this sense.)
|
uniformed (Highlights belonging to an official service (police, army, etc.), contrasted with ordinary civilian status.)
Colocaciones
civilian life
|civilian clothes
|civilian government
|civilian population
|civilian job
|civilian administration
Temas
war
|society
|work
|politics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He found it hard to adjust to civilian life after leaving the navy.
- The officer changed into civilian clothes before going home.
- The country returned to civilian government after years of military rule.
- Aid agencies warned that the bombing threatened the civilian population.
- She left the army and took a civilian job in finance.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He had problems in civilian life after many years as a soldier.
- The police officer went home in civilian clothes.
- The country moved from military rule to civilian government.
- War is very dangerous for the civilian population.
- After the war, many soldiers looked for civilian jobs.
Sustantivo
informal
B2
entity
3
non-expert in a field
A person who is not an expert or professional in a special subject or job.
Patrón de uso:
a/the civilian [in this context]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think this meaning is always about the military. In this informal use, "civilian" just means someone outside a professional or expert group, not necessarily outside the army or police.
Sinónimos
layperson (Neutral and slightly formal; the standard term for someone who is not an expert in a field.)
|
non-expert (Very clear and neutral, but more technical or descriptive than idiomatic.)
Antónimos
expert (General opposite; someone with special knowledge or skill in the field.)
|
professional (Stresses that the person works in the field and has training, the opposite of an outside civilian in this sense.)
Colocaciones
to a civilian
|for a civilian
|explain it to a civilian
|looks strange to a civilian
Temas
communication
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- To a civilian, this medical report is almost impossible to understand.
- The engineer tried to explain the problem in terms a civilian could follow.
- For a civilian, you know a surprising amount about criminal law.
- The instructions are so technical that no civilian could install the system alone.
- To most civilians, their computer systems just seem like magic.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- To a civilian, this law text is hard to read.
- He explained the computer problem in words a civilian can understand.
- For a civilian, she knows a lot about airplanes.
- This report is too technical for a civilian like me.
- The doctor spoke slowly so a civilian could follow.
Sustantivo
technical
C2
entity
4
scholar of civil (Roman) law
A legal expert who studies or works mainly with civil law based on old Roman law, not common law.
Patrón de uso:
a/the civilian [wrote/argued]
Error frecuente:
Learners may wrongly apply this rare technical sense to everyday situations. In modern general English, "civilian" almost always means a non-military person; this legal meaning appears mainly in historical or academic texts.
Sinónimos
civil-law scholar (Explicit and transparent description; more modern but less idiomatic as a single label.)
Antónimos
common lawyer (A lawyer or scholar of common law, traditionally contrasted with civilians in legal history.)
Colocaciones
Roman civilian
|medieval civilian
|canonists and civilians
Temas
law
|academia
|education
Ejemplos
- As a distinguished civilian, he wrote several treatises on Roman law.
- Medieval civilians played a key role in developing European legal systems.
- The faculty included both canonists and civilians.
- Many civilians of the period trained at Italian universities.
- The ideas of the great civilians still influence modern legal codes.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The book was written by a famous civilian in the 17th century.
- Some civilians taught Roman law at the university.
- In history, civilians helped build modern civil law.
- Students of law sometimes read old texts by civilians.
- Civilians and canon lawyers worked in the same schools.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
civilian
AFI
GB/səvˈɪljən/
US/səvˈɪljən/
Sílabas y acento
ci - vil - ian (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (vil)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: civilian
Noun
- Base: civilian
- Plural: civilians
Familia de palabras
Forms
civilians
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
civilly
adverb
Expresiones
as a civilian
1/ˈæz ə səvˈɪljən/
fixed phrase
in the role of a civilian
In the situation of being a person who is not in the army, police, or similar service.
Ejemplos
- He worked for the army for years, but now, as a civilian, he lives a quieter life.
- As a civilian, she had limited access to the base.
- Soon he will retire and start a new career as a civilian.
civilian casualties
1/səvˈɪljən kˈæʒuəltiz/
fixed phrase
non-military people killed or hurt
Civilians who are killed or injured in a war, attack, or accident.
Ejemplos
- The attack caused heavy civilian casualties in the border town.
- Human rights groups condemned the bombing for the number of civilian casualties.
- The report said efforts were made to limit civilian casualties.
civilian clothes
1/səvˈɪljən klˈoʊðz/
fixed phrase
ordinary clothes, not a uniform
Normal everyday clothes, not a military or police uniform, especially when worn by someone who usually wears a uniform.
Ejemplos
- The officer changed into civilian clothes before going home.
- Soldiers in civilian clothes guarded the entrance without being noticed.
- On weekends, the cadets are allowed to wear civilian clothes.
civilian government
1/səvˈɪljən ɡˈʌvɚnmənt/
fixed phrase
non-military government
A government run by ordinary (non-military) politicians, not by the army.
Ejemplos
- After the coup, the country slowly returned to civilian government.
- International pressure helped restore civilian government after years of military rule.
- The new constitution guarantees that the military must answer to a civilian government.
civilian life
1/səvˈɪljən lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
life outside the military
Life as an ordinary person, not as a member of the army, navy, air force, or similar service.
Ejemplos
- He struggled to adapt to civilian life after leaving the army.
- Many veterans say civilian life feels very different from military life.
- After the war, she returned to civilian life and became a teacher.
civilian population
1/səvˈɪljən pˌɑpjəlˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
all civilians in an area
All the civilians who live in a place, spoken of as one group.
Ejemplos
- The civilian population was ordered to evacuate the region.
- Sanctions have had a serious impact on the civilian population.
- Aid organizations are trying to support the civilian population caught in the conflict.
return to civilian life
1/ɹɪtˈɚn tə səvˈɪljən lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
become a civilian again
To stop being in the army or another uniformed service and start living as an ordinary person again.
Ejemplos
- Many soldiers find it hard to return to civilian life.
- After twenty years in the navy, he was nervous about returning to civilian life.
- Support programs help veterans return to civilian life.