Meaning · adjective
civil
- civilian
- polite, civilized
In a sentence
Parla in modo civile con tua sorella.
Speak politely with your sister.
È un aereo civile o militare?
Is it a civilian or military plane?
Non hanno fatto una cerimonia civile.
They didn't have a civil ceremony.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|
| civile | masculine · singular |
| civile | feminine · singular |
| civili | masculine · plural |
| civili | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use 'civile' for 'civil' in legal/formal contexts (e.g., 'diritti civili'). Avoid for 'polite' in casual speech—prefer 'gentile' or 'cortese'.
- Always agrees in gender/number: 'civile' (m/f sing.), 'civili' (pl.). No contractions.
- Not used for 'civil engineering'—say 'ingegneria civile' (fixed phrase).
In a sentence
La guerra ha causato molte vittime tra i civili.
The war caused many casualties among civilians.
Sei un civile o sei in servizio?
Are you a civilian or are you on duty?
Non era un civile, portava una divisa.
He wasn't a civilian, he was wearing a uniform.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|
| civile | masculine · singular |
| civili | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- As a noun, civile usually means “civilian,” often contrasted with militare. For “citizen,” cittadino is much more common in everyday Italian.
- Very often civile is an adjective instead: diritto civile, guerra civile, stato civile. Check whether it modifies a noun or stands alone.
- In plural, civili commonly refers to civilians as a group, especially in news about war, police, or emergencies.
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