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
The group also visited the headquarters of Central American Resource Center, or CARECEN, a nonprofit established in 1983 by Salvadoran refugees fleeing civil war.
—
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The development is the latest as Syria's new leaders have struggled since toppling former President Bashar Assad in December 2024 to assert their full authority over the country torn by nearly 14 years of civil war.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
Bushido itself emerged in ancient Japan after centuries of civil war, when warriors suddenly had no war to fight.
—Richard P. Weigand, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
But the country’s telecommunications infrastructure has eroded since the civil war started in April 2023, as combatants have continued to target this infrastructure.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The development is the latest as Syria's new leaders have struggled since toppling former President Bashar Assad in December 2024 to assert their full authority over the country torn by nearly 14 years of civil war.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
Bushido itself emerged in ancient Japan after centuries of civil war, when warriors suddenly had no war to fight.
—Richard P. Weigand, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
But the country’s telecommunications infrastructure has eroded since the civil war started in April 2023, as combatants have continued to target this infrastructure.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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