Civilian
/sɪˈvɪl.jən/noun
A person who is not a member of the armed forces or the police.
Did you know?Civilian comes from Latin *civilis* (“of the citizen”), ultimately tied to *civis* (“citizen”), the same ancient root behind words for civic life, city power, and public identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keiw-
“to lie down; settlement, dwelling place”
Latin
Latin
civis
“citizen, member of a community”
Latin
Latin
civilis
“of a citizen; public, polite, not military”
Old French
Old French
civilien
“civil, civilian, layperson”
Middle English
English
civiliën / civilian
“civil person; one not in holy orders or military service”
Modern English
English
civilian
“a nonmilitary person”