/si vil"yeuhn/ , n.
1. a person who is not on active duty with a military, naval, police, or fire fighting organization.
2. Informal. anyone regarded by members of a profession, interest group, society, etc., as not belonging; nonprofessional; outsider: We need a producer to run the movie studio, not some civilian from the business world.
3. a person versed in or studying Roman or civil law.
adj.
4. of, pertaining to, formed by, or administered by civilians.
[ 1350-1400; ME: student of civil law civilien (adj.); see CIVIL, -IAN ]