civilian
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civilian
A person who is not a member of the military, the police, or other armed organizations; a civilian person.
Bei dem Konflikt kamen leider auch viele Zivilisten ums Leben.
Unfortunately, many civilians also lost their lives in the conflict.
'Der Zivilist' (civilian) belongs to the word family of 'zivil' (civilian/civil). The adjective 'zivil' means 'bürgerlich' (civilian/civic) or 'nicht-militärisch' (non-military) and forms the basis for understanding the noun.
Zivilisten haben ein Recht auf Schutz in Konfliktgebieten.
Civilians have a right to protection in conflict zones.
The phrase 'in Zivil' (in civilian clothes/plainclothes) is very common. It means that a person who normally wears a uniform (e.g. a police officer or soldier) is wearing their private clothes.
Der Polizist war nicht in Uniform, sondern in Zivil unterwegs.
The police officer was not in uniform, but out in plainclothes.
This meaning is used almost exclusively in the context of the military, police, conflicts, or security forces. It serves to clearly distinguish such people from persons in uniform.
Die Soldaten halfen den Zivilisten nach der Naturkatastrophe.
The soldiers helped the civilians after the natural disaster.
In this meaning, 'Zivilist' (layperson/civilian) is colloquial. It is often used somewhat ironically by members of a professional group (e.g. doctors, programmers) for outsiders without specialist knowledge.
Aus der Sicht eines Arztes sind wir Laien alle nur Zivilisten.
From a doctor's point of view, we laypeople are all just civilians.
soldier
'Soldat' and 'Zivilist' form a clear contrast when it comes to the military. A soldier belongs to the armed forces and has a military role. A civilian does not belong to the military or to an armed organization. This difference is especially important in the news, during conflicts, or in security rules. People speak of 'Soldaten' when military personnel are meant, and of 'Zivilisten' when ordinary citizens without a military role are meant.
Während der Kontrolle mussten die Zivilisten den Platz verlassen.
During the security check, the civilians had to leave the area.
Noah ist Soldat und wird nächste Woche zu einer Übung geschickt.
Noah is a soldier and will be sent to a training exercise next week.