How is "civil" used on the GRE?

"civil" is a commonly tested GRE vocabulary word. It appears in Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension sections. Understanding its definition, synonyms, and usage in context is essential for GRE Verbal Reasoning.

What are synonyms for "civil"?

Synonyms for "civil" include: civic, public, communal.

civil

Pronunciation: /ˈsɪvɪl/

adjective

Definition of civil

Relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns

Synonyms for civil

civic
public
communal

civil in a Sentence

Civil rights movements have brought about significant social change.

Why civil Matters for GRE & SAT

"civil" is a adjective that means "Relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns" closely related to words like "civic", "public", "communal". As a word starting with C, it belongs to a cluster of GRE and SAT vocabulary that test-takers often encounter in Verbal Reasoning, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension sections.

On the GRE, understanding "civil" helps you distinguish between closely related answer choices in Sentence Equivalence questions. On the SAT, recognizing this word in context strengthens your performance on Craft & Structure and Words in Context questions. Seeing how "civil" is used in sentences — like the examples above — builds the contextual understanding that standardized tests reward.

Study tip: Start with the definition and part of speech (adjective). Then learn its 3 synonyms to build a word network. Finally, practice with spaced repetition to move "civil" into long-term memory.

How to Remember civil

One effective way to remember "civil" (adjective) is to group it with similar words you already know: "civic" and "public" and "communal". When you encounter "civil" on a test, these synonym connections help you quickly recall its meaning — "Relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns".

Use flashcard apps with spaced repetition to review "civil" at increasing intervals until it becomes automatic.

cacophonous — extremely noisy; grating
cajole — persuade through flattery or gentle urging
callous — emotionally unfeeling or insensitive
callow — young and inexperienced; immature
calumny — slander and defamation

More Vocabulary Words Starting with C

cacophonous — extremely noisy; grating
cacophonous — extremely noisy; grating
cajole — persuade through flattery or gentle urging
cajole — persuade through flattery or gentle urging
callous — emotionally unfeeling or insensitive
callous — emotionally unfeeling or insensitive
callow — young and inexperienced; immature
callow — young and inexperienced; immature
calumny — slander and defamation
calumny — slander and defamation