civil service reform

Reform \Re*form"\, n. [F. r['e]forme.]
   Amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or
   depraved; reformation; as, reform of elections; reform of
   government.
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   {Civil service reform}. See under {Civil}.

   {Reform acts} (Eng. Politics), acts of Parliament passed in
      1832, 1867, 1884, 1885, extending and equalizing popular
      representation in Parliament.

   {Reform school}, a school established by a state or city
      government, for the confinement, instruction, and
      reformation of juvenile offenders, and of young persons of
      idle, vicious, and vagrant habits. [U. S.]
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   Syn: Reformation; amendment; rectification; correction. See
        {Reformation}.
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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 Service Reform \Civil Service Reform\
   The substitution of business principles and methods for
   political methods in the conduct of the civil service. esp.
   the merit system instead of the spoils system in making
   appointments to office.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]