What does civilly mean?
"Civilly" is an adverb meaning in a polite, courteous, and respectful manner. It most commonly describes how people speak or treat one another, especially during disagreements — one can argue civilly, decline an invitation civilly, or correct a mistake civilly — implying restraint and good manners rather than warmth. A secondary, more formal sense relates to civil as opposed to religious or military matters: a couple may marry civilly at a courthouse rather than in a church, and officials may act in a civil capacity under secular law. The word derives from the Latin civilis, meaning "relating to citizens," via Old French and Middle English, making it a sibling of "civil," "civility," and "civilian." In modern usage it often appears in calls for public discourse — debates conducted civilly are valued precisely because courtesy can coexist with strong disagreement.
In a polite, courteous, and respectful manner.
"She responded civilly to the hostile email, declining to escalate the conflict."
This is by far the dominant modern sense.
In a manner relating to civil (secular, non-religious, or non-military) affairs.
"They were joined together civilly at the registry office before the church wedding."
Most common in legal and ceremonial contexts, e.g. marriage performed without religious rite.
The same Latin root that gives us 'civilly' also gives us 'city' — to be civil was originally to behave like a proper citizen.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of civilly
Civilly comes from the adjective "civil," which traces back to Latin civilis, meaning "relating to a citizen or the state," from civis ("citizen"). The adverb formed in Middle English by adding the -ly suffix, with its sense of polite conduct developing from the older sense of befitting a citizen. Its cognates include civility, civilian, and civilize, all sharing the same Latin root that ultimately also produced "city" through related Romance forms.
Related word forms
How civilly is actually used
The dominant sense is 'in a polite manner'; the second sense ('in a civil/secular capacity') appears mostly in legal or ceremonial contexts, such as a marriage performed civilly rather than religiously. It is standard in both formal and everyday usage, and often carries a slightly formal tone when urging politeness.
Easily confused with civilly
'Civil' is the adjective describing polite behavior or civic matters, while 'civilly' is the adverb describing how an action is carried out politely.
'Civility' is the noun denoting politeness itself, whereas 'civilly' is the adverb describing manner of action.