civilian
Translation
civilian, non-combatant
Examples
The bomb killed four soldiers and two civilians.
The bomb killed four soldiers and two civilians.
He was a civilian before joining the army.
He was a civilian before joining the army.
Grammar Patterns
a civilian a person not in the armed forces The bomb killed two civilians.
Similar Words
Synonyms: non-combatant; Antonyms: soldier, military personnel
Etymology
Derived from 'civil', referring to someone living under civil law, not military law.
Memory Tips
A 'civilian' is a 'civil' person, not a military one. The '-ian' suffix often denotes a person.