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Civilian
//sɪˈvɪl.jən// adj, noun, slang
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Not related to the military, police or other governmental professions. not-comparable
"The three detainees were actually army defectors wearing civilian clothing."
Adjective
- 1 associated with civil life or performed by persons who are not active members of the military wordnet
Noun
- 1 A person following the pursuits of civil life, especially one who is not an active member of the armed forces.
"An army never can be commanded or controlled by civilians."
- 2 a nonmilitary citizen wordnet
- 3 A person who does not belong to a particular group or engage in a particular activity, an outsider. informal
"I have this vision one day that I'll walk amongst you a regular civilian."
- 4 One skilled in civil law.
"Ancient civilians and writers upon government."
- 5 A student of civil law at a university or college.
"although he kept his name in the college books, and changed his commoner gown to that of a civilian, yet he had now, I believe, no thoughts of proceeding to any degree; and seldom resided in college any more"
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- 6 An employee of the civil service. Indian-English
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English cyvylien, from Old French civilien. Equivalent to civil + -ian.
Etymology 2
From Middle English cyvylien, from Old French civilien. Equivalent to civil + -ian.
See also for "civilian"
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