civilly

adverb

civ·​il·​ly ˈsi-və(l)-lē How to pronounce civilly (audio)
Synonyms of civillynext
1
: in terms of civil rights, law, or matters
civilly dead
2
: in a civil manner : politely

Examples of civilly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The prosecutor’s office said it was notified the following week that the hospital would not civilly commit him, and he was released. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026 Trump separately was found civilly liable by another Manhattan federal court jury for having defamed Carroll. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 June 2026 The seven-person jury deliberated for about eight hours over two days before finding Banken and several of his companies civilly liable for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act. — Andy Mannix, ProPublica, 23 June 2026 Hall’s dexterity with finicky varietals is on full display with his entry level Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (both civilly priced at $40 and $45 respectively). — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for civilly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of civilly was in the 15th century

Rhymes for civilly

See All Rhymes for civilly

Browse Nearby Words

civil list
civilly
civilly dead
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Cite this Entry

“Civilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

civilly

adverb
civ·​il·​ly ˈsiv-ə(l)-lē How to pronounce civilly (audio)
: in a civil manner : politely

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for civilly

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