| civilization |
an advanced state of development of a society as judged by such things as having a complex system of government and laws, use of a written language, and the keeping of written records. [6 definitions] |
| civilize |
to bring to an educated or refined condition; cause impulsive or destructive behavior to be voluntarily restrained. |
| civilized |
educated or refined; not impulsive or destructive; socialized or civil. |
| civil law |
the section of law that deals with the rights of the citizens, as distinct from laws that regulate criminal acts, military personnel, or international trade. [3 definitions] |
| civil liberty |
a citizen's freedom to exercise certain rights, such as the right to free speech or free assembly, as guaranteed by the laws of a country. |
| civil marriage |
a marriage performed by a government official, such as a justice of the peace, rather than a clergyman. |
| civil rights |
the rights guaranteed by a nation's government to all its citizens. [2 definitions] |
| Civil Rights Act |
in the U.S., any of several laws intended to protect civil rights, esp. the landmark law passed by Congress in 1964 that aimed to protect the constitutional right of all citizens to vote and to prevent racial discrimination in places of employment, public facilities, public accommodations, and the like. |
| Civil Rights Movement |
a movement in the United States particularly prominent during the 1950s and 1960s that sought to end racial discrimination, legal segregation of blacks and whites, and racial barriers to voting. The movement was led by black leaders such as Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and James Farmer. It mobilized tens of thousands of African Americans in protest against existing laws and practices. Activists, both black and white, endured harassment and violence from the police and others as the movement progressed. Eventually, the American civil rights movement brought about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and other measures. [2 definitions] |
| civil servant |
one who works for a civil service; that is, one who works within a branch of government administration other than legislative, judicial, or military. Civil servants are not elected or appointed; they are hired based on merit, often as judged by an exam. |
| civil service |
any branch of government administration that is not part of the legislative, judicial, or military services. [3 definitions] |
| civil war |
a war within a nation between opposing political factions or regions. [2 definitions] |
| civvies |
(informal) civilian clothing, as opposed to military uniform. |
| Cl |
symbol of the chemical element chlorine. |
| clabber |
sour, thick, or curdled milk. [2 definitions] |
| clack |
to make a short, sharp sound or sounds such as are made by striking two hard objects together. [8 definitions] |
| clad1 |
a past tense and past participle of clothe. |
| clad2 |
to bond or attach a metal to (another metal) in order to strengthen or protect it. |
| cladding |
a metal bonded to another metal as a protective coating. [2 definitions] |
| claim |
to assert ownership; demand as one's right. [8 definitions] |
| claimable |
combined form of claim. |