civil war: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, historical, political, academic
Quick answer
What does “civil war” mean?
A war between organized groups within the same state or country.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A war between organized groups within the same state or country.
Any prolonged, intense conflict between factions within a single organization, community, or family. In computer science, it can describe a situation where processes contend destructively for shared resources.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
While the concept is identical, the primary historical referent differs: in the UK it typically refers to the 17th-century English Civil War(s); in the US it refers almost exclusively to the 19th-century American Civil War. The US often capitalizes it as 'the Civil War'.
Connotations
UK: Often associated with Parliament vs. monarchy, religious conflict. US: Primarily associated with slavery, states' rights, North vs. South, and national identity.
Frequency
Higher frequency in US English due to its central role in national history and ongoing cultural/political discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “civil war” in a Sentence
[country] is on the brink of civil war.The [conflict/division] descended into civil war.A civil war erupted/raged in [country].They fought a civil war over [issue].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “civil war” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The party is civil-warring itself over the leadership contest.
- The region civil-warred for a decade before the UN intervention.
American English
- The faction threatened to civil-war if their demands weren't met.
- They're afraid the country will civil-war again.
adverb
British English
- The army was divided civil-war-style along regional lines.
- They fought civil-war-like in the streets.
American English
- The debate went civil-war ugly very quickly.
- The state split civil-war fashion into two camps.
adjective
British English
- The civil-war period saw immense social change.
- He is a leading civil-war historian.
American English
- We visited a civil-war battlefield in Virginia.
- She studies civil-war-era literature.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphor for a destructive internal power struggle within a company ('The boardroom feud turned into a civil war, paralyzing the firm.').
Academic
Precise historical/political science term for a category of armed conflict, often subdivided (e.g., revolutionary, secessionist).
Everyday
Used to describe severe internal disputes in any group ('There's a civil war in our family over the inheritance.').
Technical
In computing: 'cache coherency protocol failure leading to a cache civil war'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “civil war”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “civil war”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “civil war”
- Using 'civil war' for any violent protest or riot (requires organized, sustained military conflict).
- Confusing 'civil war' with 'revolution' (a revolution may involve civil war, but aims to overthrow a government/system).
- Misspelling as 'cival war'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Only when it is part of a proper name for a specific historical conflict (e.g., the American Civil War, the English Civil War). When used generically, it is lowercase (e.g., 'the country is facing a civil war').
A revolution aims for fundamental systemic change (political, social, economic), often by overthrowing a government. A civil war is defined by the type of combatants (internal groups) and may have various goals, including secession or control, not necessarily systemic overthrow.
Yes, it is commonly used metaphorically for any intense internal conflict within an organization, community, or even a family, though this is an extended, figurative use.
Using it to describe any violent internal disturbance, such as a riot or a brief rebellion. 'Civil war' implies a sustained, large-scale military conflict with a degree of organization on both sides.
A war between organized groups within the same state or country.
Civil war is usually formal, historical, political, academic in register.
Civil war: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɪv.əl ˈwɔːr/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɪv.əl ˈwɔːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A house divided against itself cannot stand. (conceptual idiom related to civil war)”
- “Brother against brother”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
CIVIL WAR: Citizens Inside Violently Infighting Locally – War Among Residents.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE STATE IS A BODY / A FAMILY: A civil war is a sickness of the body politic or a family tearing itself apart.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a key characteristic of a 'civil war'?