Civvie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person not involved in military service represents an individual who participates in civilian life without military affiliation
2. A civilian individual refers to someone who is not engaged in any military duty or role during peacetime, often living a life separate from armed service matters
3. An individual who lives as a non-military member, not partaking in armed forces duties

Etymology: "Civvie" is a slang shortening of "civilian" with the diminutive suffix "-y" (also spelled "civvy"), used mainly in British English for someone who is not in the armed forces. The suffix does the same job as in words like "doggy" or "hanky": it turns a formal noun into a casual, familiar one. The base word, "civilian," comes from "civil," ultimately from Latin "civilis," meaning "of citizens," itself from "civis," "citizen." The contrast it draws is with the military, so "civilian" defines a person by what they are not: a member of the armed forces. The clipped, affectionate form "civvy" is most often heard in the phrase "in civvies," meaning dressed in ordinary clothes rather than uniform.

Synonyms: civilian

Antonyms: military