From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Civil \Civ"il\, a. [L. civilis, fr. civis citizen: cf. F. civil.
See {City}.]
1. Pertaining to a city or state, or to a citizen in his
relations to his fellow citizens or to the state; within
the city or state.
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2. Subject to government; reduced to order; civilized; not
barbarous; -- said of the community.
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England was very rude and barbarous; for it is but
even the other day since England grew civil.
--Spenser.
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3. Performing the duties of a citizen; obedient to
government; -- said of an individual.
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Civil men come nearer the saints of God than others;
they come within a step or two of heaven. --Preston
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4. Having the manners of one dwelling in a city, as opposed
to those of savages or rustics; polite; courteous;
complaisant; affable.
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Note: "A civil man now is one observant of slight external
courtesies in the mutual intercourse between man and
man; a civil man once was one who fulfilled all the
duties and obligations flowing from his position as a
'civis' and his relations to the other members of that
'civitas.'" --Trench
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5. Pertaining to civic life and affairs, in distinction from
military, ecclesiastical, or official state.
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6. Relating to rights and remedies sought by action or suit
distinct from criminal proceedings.
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{Civil action}, an action to enforce the rights or redress
the wrongs of an individual, not involving a criminal
proceeding.
{Civil architecture}, the architecture which is employed in
constructing buildings for the purposes of civil life, in
distinction from military and naval architecture, as
private houses, palaces, churches, etc.
{Civil death}. (Law.) See under {Death}.
{Civil engineering}. See under {Engineering}.
{Civil law}. See under {Law}.
{Civil list}. See under {List}.
{Civil remedy} (Law), that given to a person injured, by
action, as opposed to a criminal prosecution.
{Civil service}, all service rendered to and paid for by the
state or nation other than that pertaining to naval or
military affairs.
{Civil service reform}, the substitution of business
principles and methods for the spoils system in the
conduct of the civil service, esp. in the matter of
appointments to office.
{Civil state}, the whole body of the laity or citizens not
included under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical
states.
{Civil suit}. Same as {Civil action}.
{Civil war}. See under {War}.
{Civil year}. See under {Year}.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
civil service
n 1: government workers; usually hired on the basis of
competitive examinations
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