Meanings
plural civil societies
- countableuncountableThose things expected of a democratic society, such as free speech and human rights.First known use 20th c.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesOrganized, internally peaceful human society; civilization.First known use 17th c.
Man’s decision to leave the state of nature is a natural decision. […] Civil society is, in effect, nature rendered reasonable.
1989, Gary B. Herbert, Thomas Hobbes: The Unity of Scientific and Moral Wisdom, →ISBN, page 122 more examples
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 greater Security against any that are not of it.
1689, John Locke, Two Treatises of Government; republished as The Works of John Locke Esq., volume 2, 1727, page 185Rousseau, however, thought that civil society as such […] is characterized by a fundamental self-contradiction and that it is precisely the state of nature which is free from self-contradiction; man in the state of nature is happy because he is radically independent, whereas man in civil society is unhappy because he is radically dependent.
1953, Leo Strauss, Natural Right and History, page 282Antonyms: state of nature
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOrganized, internally peaceful human society; civilization.
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُجْتَمَع مَدَنِيّ
- مُجْتَمَع مَدَنِيّ (mujtamaʕ madaniyy)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Bulgarian гражданско общество
- гражданско общество (graždansko obštestvo)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Chinese Mandarin 公民社會 /公民社会
- 公民社會 /公民社会 (gōngmín shèhuì)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Czech občanská společnost
- občanská společnostinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Dutch maatschappelijk middenveld
- maatschappelijk middenveldinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Finnish kansalaisyhteiskunta
- kansalaisyhteiskuntainstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
French société civile
- société civileinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
German Bürgergesellschaft, bürgerliche Gesellschaft (Hegelianism)
- Bürgergesellschaftinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
- bürgerliche Gesellschaft (Hegelianism)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
- Zivilgesellschaftinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Hungarian civil társadalom, polgári társadalom
- civil társadalominstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
- polgári társadalominstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Indonesian masyarakat sipil, masyarakat madani
- masyarakat sipilinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
- masyarakat madaniinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
- kelompok masyarakatorganized and peaceful society — see also civilization
- peradabanorganized and peaceful society — see also civilization
Italian società civile
- società civileinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Japanese 市民社会
- 市民社会 (shimin shakai)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Korean 시민사회
- 시민사회 (siminsahoe)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Latin status cīvīlis
- status cīvīlisorganized and peaceful society — see also civilization
Polish społeczeństwo obywatelskie
- społeczeństwo obywatelskieinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Romanian societate civilă
- societate civilăinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Russian гражда́нское о́бщество
- гражда́нское о́бщество (graždánskoje óbščestvo)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Tagalog lipunang sibil
- lipunang sibilinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Ukrainian громадянське суспільство
- громадянське суспільство (hromadjansʹke suspilʹstvo)institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Vietnamese xã hội dân sự
- xã hội dân sựinstitutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies
Cite this entry
civil society. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civil%20society
“civil society.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civil%20society. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “civil society,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civil%20society.
Source: civil society on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.