civil time

noun

Mean solar time reckoned from midnight by adding twelve hours.

Meanings

nouncivil time (uncountable)
  1. uncountableastronomyMean solar time reckoned from midnight by adding twelve hours.

    The civil time in a certain place is the mean solar time plus twelve hours which are added so that the day begins at midnight and not at midday. Universal time is the civil time of the international meridian.

    2012, Pierre Léna, Daniel Rouan, François Lebrun, François Mignard, Didier Pelat, Observational Astrophysics, Springer Science & Business, →ISBN, page 161
  2. uncountablemodern usageThe statutory time as designated by civilian authorities, generally a standard time in a time zone at a fixed offset from UTC.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe official time in a local region (adjusted for location around the Earth); established by law or custom

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

civil time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civil%20time

MLA

“civil time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civil%20time. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “civil time,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civil%20time.

Source: civil time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.