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civil society

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civil society

Where it comes from

From the archaic sense of civil, “peaceful and well-ordered”. Later senses of civil society reflect 19th-century Hegelian influence, as well as the earlier argument that tyrannical governments exist in the state of nature in relation to their subjects.

noun civil societies

  1. countable, uncountable All of the institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies that are less than the state but greater than the family.
  2. countable, uncountable Those things expected of a democratic society, such as free speech and human rights.
  3. countable, uncountable Organized, internally peaceful human society; civilization. The only Way whereby any one divests himself of his natural Liberty, and puts on the Bonds of civil Society, is by agreeing with other Men to join and unite into a Community, for their comfortable, safe, and peaceable living one amongst another, in a secure Enjoyment of their Properties, and a great

    Opposite: state of nature

Translations

Every language

noun institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies

한국어시민사회 siminsahoe
日本語市民社会 shimin shakai
中文公民社會 /公民社会 gōngmín shèhuì
Françaissociété civile
DeutschBürgergesellschaft, bürgerliche Gesellschaft (Hegelianism), Zivilgesellschaft
Italianosocietà civile
Românăsocietate civilă
Русскийгражда́нское о́бщество graždánskoje óbščestvo
Tiếng Việtxã hội dân sự
العربيةمُجْتَمَع مَدَنِيّ mujtamaʕ madaniyy

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MLA

"civil society." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/civil%20society. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

civil society. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/civil%20society

Chicago

"civil society." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/civil%20society.

BibTeX
@misc{civil_society_2026,
  title = {civil society},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/civil%20society},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}