civil law

IPA/ˌsɪvl ˈlɔː/
IPA/ˌsɪvl ˈlɔː/

civil law — noun

1. the area of law that handles disagreements between individuals or companies over

1.nounB2
Definition

the area of law that handles disagreements between individuals or companies over matters such as contracts, property damage, and family relationships, rather than dealing with criminal acts.

Example

After their car accident, the two drivers ended up in civil law, not criminal court.

contrast: civil law vs criminal court

The lawyer told us that disputes over unpaid rent fall under civil law.

Common collocations
  • civil law case
  • civil law dispute
  • civil law system
  • under civil law
  • practise civil law
Synonyms
  • private law

    broader term covering civil law as well as commercial law; less commonly used in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • criminal law

    the system that deals with crimes and punishment rather than private disputes

Usage Note

Often contrasted with criminal law, which deals with offences against the state.

Common Mistakes

She sued him under criminal law for breaking the contract.
She sued him under civil law for breaking the contract.
breaking a contract is a civil matter, not a crime.

2. the collection of laws created in ancient Rome, especially the systematic code p

2.nounC1
Definition

the collection of laws created in ancient Rome, especially the systematic code produced under the emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD.

Example

The Justinian code became the foundation of civil law across much of Europe.

collocation: foundation of civil law

Henry's university course on legal history began with Roman civil law and the Twelve Tables.

Common collocations
  • Roman civil law
  • ancient civil law
  • civil law tradition
Synonyms
  • Roman law

    the same body of ancient law; 'civil law' is a traditional English name for it

  • Justinian code

    specifically the 6th-century compilation, not the whole tradition

Usage Note

This historical sense is used mainly in academic or legal-history contexts.

3. a system of law based on Roman legal principles and written codes, used in most

3.nounC1
Definition

a system of law based on Roman legal principles and written codes, used in most European countries, Japan, and parts of the Americas, as opposed to the common law system used in England and the United States.

Example

France and Germany both follow the civil law system, while the UK follows common law.

contrast: civil law vs common law

When doing business in Japan, Wei had to learn how contracts work under civil law.

Common collocations
  • civil law system
  • civil law tradition
  • civil law country
  • based on civil law
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • common law

    the legal system based on court precedents, used in England, the US, and other English-speaking countries

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (private disputes): this sense describes a whole legal system or tradition — such as French or German law — as opposed to the common law tradition. See also common law.

Common Mistakes

In England they use civil law like most of Europe.
In England they use common law, while most of Europe uses civil law.
England belongs to the common law tradition, not civil law.

4. the law that a particular country or state creates and applies within its own te

4.nounC1
Definition

the law that a particular country or state creates and applies within its own territory, as opposed to international law or the law of another jurisdiction.

Example

International courts only hear cases when the country's own civil law cannot provide justice.

contrast: domestic vs international law

Each state in Mexico has its own civil law, but federal law applies nationwide.

Common collocations
  • civil law of a country
  • domestic civil law
  • national civil law
  • under the civil law of
Synonyms
  • municipal law

    formal legal term for the domestic law of a state

  • national law

    more general term that avoids the ambiguity of 'civil law'

Antonyms

Usage Note

In international law contexts, 'civil law' can refer to any country's domestic legal rules, whether the country follows a civil-law or common-law tradition.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Civil law (in its private-disputes sense) is the broad area of law governing disagreements between individuals or organisations. Private law is a slightly wider category that includes civil law as well as commercial law — both deal with relations between private parties rather than the state. Criminal law is the direct opposite: it covers actions the state considers harmful and punishable, such as theft or assault, which are handled by prosecutors rather than through private lawsuits. Tort law is a subset of civil law that specifically covers claims for harm or loss caused by someone's actions, like a car accident injury. In everyday language, people talk about 'suing someone' under civil law if they want money for damages, whereas the state 'prosecutes someone' under criminal law if a crime was committed.

civil law ↗private lawcriminal lawtort law

Common collocations

Nouns

  • civil law case
  • civil law system
  • civil law tradition
  • civil law code
  • civil law country
  • civil law court
  • civil law action

Prepositions

  • under civil law
  • in civil law
  • by civil law

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The phrase 'civil law' comes from Latin 'ius civile', meaning 'the law of the citizens' — the body of rules that applied to Roman citizens as opposed to foreigners. 'Civil' entered English through French from Latin 'civilis', which relates to 'civis' (citizen) and 'civitas' (city-state). The term has been used in English since the 15th century to refer both to Roman law and, more broadly, to a country's domestic legal system as opposed to international or canon law.

First known use

1500

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1