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Showing results for be civil. Search instead for purely civil.

be civil

VERB
behave
Synonyms
STRONGEST
manage
STRONG
control direct
WEAK
act correctly act one's age act with decorum be good be nice be on best behavior be orderly comport oneself conduct oneself properly demean oneself deport oneself discipline oneself keep one's nose clean keep the peace live up to manage oneself mind one's manners mind one's p's and q's observe golden rule observe the law play fair shape up toe the mark watch one's step
Antonyms
WEAK
act up misbehave

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He tries to be civil, but he’s organically obnoxious.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

“It is supposed to be civil detention, but… it is a jail,” Michael Lukens of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, told NBC News in March.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2025

"I'm angry, everyone is angry, but we can be civil," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2025

The church takes pains to keep its official positions apolitical, and last weekend, one of its senior leaders, Dallin H. Oaks, encouraged members to be civil ahead of the November election.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2024

It was hard for me to be civil, and seriously, she couldn’t have missed the tension spilling out of the car alongside the battered boxes.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx