(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
In a military situation, a ~ is anyone who is not a member of the armed forces.
The safety of ~s caught up in the fighting must be guaranteed.
N-COUNT
2.
In a military situation, ~ is used to describe people or things that are not military.
...the country’s ~ population.
...~ casualties.
...a soldier in ~ clothes.
? military
ADJ: usu ADJ n