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CIVIL

Volume 2 · 65 words · 1771 Edition

in a general sense, something that regards the policy, public good, or peace of the citizens, or subjects of the state; in which sense we say, civil government, civil law, civil right, civil war, &c.

CIVIL, in a legal sense, is also applied to the ordinary procedure in an action, relating to some pecuniary matter or interest, in which sense it is opposed to criminal.