Civil action

civil action
    n 1: legal action to protect a private civil right or to compel
         a civil remedy (as distinguished from criminal prosecution)
    

Civil \Civ"il\, a. [L. civilis, fr. civis citizen: cf. F. civil.
   See {City}.]
   1. Pertaining to a city or state, or to a citizen in his
      relations to his fellow citizens or to the state; within
      the city or state.
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   2. Subject to government; reduced to order; civilized; not
      barbarous; -- said of the community.
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            England was very rude and barbarous; for it is but
            even the other day since England grew civil.
                                                  --Spenser.
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   3. Performing the duties of a citizen; obedient to
      government; -- said of an individual.
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            Civil men come nearer the saints of God than others;
            they come within a step or two of heaven. --Preston
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   4. Having the manners of one dwelling in a city, as opposed
      to those of savages or rustics; polite; courteous;
      complaisant; affable.
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   Note: "A civil man now is one observant of slight external
         courtesies in the mutual intercourse between man and
         man; a civil man once was one who fulfilled all the
         duties and obligations flowing from his position as a
         'civis' and his relations to the other members of that
         'civitas.'" --Trench
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   5. Pertaining to civic life and affairs, in distinction from
      military, ecclesiastical, or official state.
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   6. Relating to rights and remedies sought by action or suit
      distinct from criminal proceedings.
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   {Civil action}, an action to enforce the rights or redress
      the wrongs of an individual, not involving a criminal
      proceeding.

   {Civil architecture}, the architecture which is employed in
      constructing buildings for the purposes of civil life, in
      distinction from military and naval architecture, as
      private houses, palaces, churches, etc.

   {Civil death}. (Law.) See under {Death}.

   {Civil engineering}. See under {Engineering}.

   {Civil law}. See under {Law}.

   {Civil list}. See under {List}.

   {Civil remedy} (Law), that given to a person injured, by
      action, as opposed to a criminal prosecution.

   {Civil service}, all service rendered to and paid for by the
      state or nation other than that pertaining to naval or
      military affairs.

   {Civil service reform}, the substitution of business
      principles and methods for the spoils system in the
      conduct of the civil service, esp. in the matter of
      appointments to office.

   {Civil state}, the whole body of the laity or citizens not
      included under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical
      states.

   {Civil suit}. Same as {Civil action}.

   {Civil war}. See under {War}.

   {Civil year}. See under {Year}.
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CIVIL ACTION. In New York, actions are divided only into two kinds, namely, 
criminal and civil. A criminal action is prosecuted by the state, as a 
party, against a person charged with a public offence, for the punishment 
thereof. Every other action is a civil action. Code of Procedure, s. 4, 5, 
6; 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 2638. In common parlance, however, writs of mandamus, 
certiorari, habeas corpus, &c., are not comprised by the expression, civil 
actions. 6 Bin. Rep. 9.