civil war
noun
plural civil wars
: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country
a country on the brink of (a) civil war
—often used in the capitalized names of specific warsthe Spanish Civil War
(American/U.S.) Civil War monuments
Note: The American Civil War, fought 1861–1865 between the United States and 11 southern states that had seceded from it, is also commonly known as the U.S. Civil War, or especially in the U.S. as the War Between the States or simply the Civil War.
Examples of civil war in a Sentence
a region that has had many civil wars
The country is on the brink of civil war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Only when the country's ethnic communities are given an equal stake in the country's future will there be any chance of peace after decades of civil war.
—
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Shatila's bloody history In 1982, amid Lebanon's civil war and an Israeli invasion, local militias allied with Israel killed up to 3,500 Palestinian refugees in Shatila and another Palestinian refugee camp called Sabra.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
With the collapse of the Assad regime in December, how many of the more than six million Syrians who fled their country during its 13-year civil war will return?
—Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
In December, Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted from power early in a bloodless coup by Islamist rebels who took control of Damascus, the Syrian capital, after a 13-year civil war that has caused more than 500,000 deaths and forced millions of Syrians to leave their homeland.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
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Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Shatila's bloody history In 1982, amid Lebanon's civil war and an Israeli invasion, local militias allied with Israel killed up to 3,500 Palestinian refugees in Shatila and another Palestinian refugee camp called Sabra.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
With the collapse of the Assad regime in December, how many of the more than six million Syrians who fled their country during its 13-year civil war will return?
—Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
In December, Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted from power early in a bloodless coup by Islamist rebels who took control of Damascus, the Syrian capital, after a 13-year civil war that has caused more than 500,000 deaths and forced millions of Syrians to leave their homeland.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for civil war
Dictionary Entries Near civil war
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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