civil war

noun

Definition of civil war

: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

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

Already ravaged by conflict and cholera, the country now faces a new civil war in the south, between separatists and government forces. Bobby Ghosh, The Denver Post, "Guest Commentary: The last thing Yemen needed was a second civil war," 24 Aug. 2019 Today’s newspapers, television, and internet share the plight of civil war victims around the globe and the struggles of agencies trying to help them. Mary Ann Ashcraft, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Carroll Yesteryears: Local newspapers reported on dire circumstances in post-Civil War South," 9 Aug. 2019 Pakistan and the status quo The logic of partition is often used to explain Pakistani state behaviour, but the Pakistan Army’s defining trauma was the events of 1971: mutinies, civil war, decisive Indian victory and the country’s division. Johann Chacko, Quartz India, "With Kashmir move, India risks losing the upper hand of a responsible, nuclear-armed democracy," 6 Aug. 2019 The growing controversy threatens to throw House Republicans into a vicious and politically damaging civil war ahead of next year's crucial primary elections, in which Democrats are raring to flip the chamber for the first time since 2003. By Lauren Mcgaughy James Barragán, Dallas News, "'They will have to resign': Texas lawmakers allege House Speaker said he'd pull credentials from media outlet," 1 Aug. 2019 There’s another reason: the fight for resources has reminded the population of the dark days of Guatemala’s decades-long civil war, when agitators disappeared and the military committed atrocities in rural towns. Natalie Keyssar, National Geographic, "How this quiet region in Guatemala became the epicenter of migration," 26 July 2019 The European migrant crisis is as daunting and unsolvable as ever; in the meantime, Ebola, the Syrian civil war, and conflicts the world over have required careful diplomacy and action. Natasha Frost, Quartz, "Philanthropists need to ask themselves hard questions about where their money is going," 20 July 2019 By the end of 2011, the protests had degenerated into a sectarian civil war. The Economist, "How a victorious Bashar al-Assad is changing Syria," 28 June 2018 Remember, this is the country that sanctions the murder of journalists and the civil war in Yemen. Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, "Letters: Beware political infighting; Missing crucial Senate work; BLM move is suspect; The support Hong Kong needs (7/31/19)," 31 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civil war.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of civil war

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for civil war

civil war

noun

English Language Learners Definition of civil war

: a war between groups of people in the same country

civil war

noun

Kids Definition of civil war

: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

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