Civil

Pertaining to a citizen, as civil rights (9- V.) In contradistinction to "barbarous" or "savage," indicates a state of society reduced to order and regular government. Thus, we speak of civil life, civil society, civil government and civil liberty. In contradistinction to "criminal," to indicate the private rights and remedies of men, as members of the community, in contrast to those which are public and relate to the government. Thus, we speak of civil It is also used in contradistinction to "military" or "ecclesiastical," to "natural" or "foreign." Thus, we speak of a civil station, as opposed to a military or an ecclesiastical station; a civil death, as opposed to a natural death; a civil war, as opposed to a foreign war.

Story, Const. § 789; 1 Bl. Comm. 6, 125, 251; Montesquieu, Sp. Laws, bk. 1, c. 3; Rutherforth, Inst. bk. 2, c. 2; Id. c. 3; Id. c. 8, p. 359; Heinec.

Elem. Jur. Civ. b.

2, c. 6.