# civ

CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/civ
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

a short way of saying civilization. You use this when talking about human society, history, or popular strategy games.

For teachers: a shortened, informal clipping of civilization. Refers to human social development or specifically to the 'Civilization' series of strategy video games.

## Examples

- We are studying the fall of ancient civ in history class.
- I spent the entire weekend playing civ and accidentally stayed up until three in the morning.
- The debate centered on whether the collapse of a modern civ would follow the same patterns observed in the archaeological record of the Bronze Age.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in academic shorthand or gaming communities; the plural form is 'civs'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.