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.

CIVIL Death, anything that cuts off a man from civil society; as a condemnation to the galleys, perpetual banishment, condemnation to death, outlawry, and excommunication.

CIVIL Law, is properly the peculiar law of each state, country, or city: but what we usually mean by the civil law, is a body of laws composed out of the best Roman and Grecian laws, compiled from the laws of nature and nations; and, for the most part, received and observed throughout all the Roman dominions for above 1200 years. See LAW, Part I. n° 43, 44.

CIVIL Society. See LAW, Part I. n° 12.

CIVIL State, in the British polity, one of the general divisions of the LAITY, comprehending all orders of men from the highest nobleman to the meanest peasant that are not included under the MILITARY or MARITIME states: though it may sometimes include individuals of these as well as of the CLERGY; since a nobleman, a knight, a gentleman, or a peasant, may become either a divine, a soldier, or a seaman. The division of this state is into Nobility and Commonalty; see these articles.

CIVIL War, a war between people of the same state, or the citizens of the same city.

CIVIL Year, is the legal year, or annual account of time, which every government appoints to be used within its own dominions; and is so called in contradistinction to the natural year, which is measured exactly by the revolution of the heavenly bodies.