of or occurring within the state or between or among citizens of the state
"civil affairs"
"civil strife"
"civil disobedience"
"civil branches of government"
(of divisions of time) legally recognized in ordinary affairs of life
"the civil calendar"
"a civil day begins at mean midnight"
Having to do with people and government office as opposed to the military or religion.
"The committee debated whether the new zoning law was a civil matter that required city council approval rather than a judicial ruling."
In plain English: Civil means behaving politely and respectfully toward other people.
"The civil conversation helped everyone feel welcome at the meeting."
Usage: Use "civil" to describe matters related to ordinary citizens, daily life, or non-military legal disputes. Do not use it when referring to basic human kindness or politeness, which requires the word "civility."
A surname.
"The meeting was chaired by Mr. Civil, whose family has lived in the town for generations."
The word "civil" entered Middle English from Old French and Latin, where it originally meant "relating to a citizen." It shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Old English words for household and family.