non-military

non-military — adjective

1. describing people, activities, places, or purposes that have no connection with

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing people, activities, places, or purposes that have no connection with armed forces or warfare.

Example

Shirin works for a non-military organisation that provides aid in conflict zones.

non-military organisation — typical attributive use

The government plans to spend more on non-military projects like schools and hospitals.

non-military projects — contrasting with military spending

Common collocations
  • non-military organisation
  • non-military personnel
  • non-military purposes
  • non-military sector
  • non-military use
Synonyms
  • civilian

    commonly used for people not in the armed forces; 'civilian' is more natural for referring to individuals, while 'non-military' is broader and can also describe activities or purposes

  • civil

    relates to ordinary citizens and government rather than the military; more formal and often used in legal or political contexts

  • non-combatant

    describes people who do not actively fight in a war, even if they are present in a war zone; narrower than 'non-military'

  • unarmed

    means carrying no weapons; describes a physical state rather than an organisational affiliation

Antonyms
  • military

    the direct opposite; describes anything related to armed forces

  • armed

    carrying or involving weapons; narrower and more concrete than 'military'

  • combatant

    describes someone actively fighting in a war; narrower in scope

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun (attributive position). Unlike 'civilian', which refers specifically to people who are not soldiers, 'non-military' can describe activities, purposes, organisations, and places as well.

Common Mistakes

He has a non-military attitude toward authority.
He has a civilian attitude toward authority.
'non-military' describes things not connected to armed forces; for personal traits or behaviour, 'civilian' is the natural choice.
The group is non-military, meaning they oppose all war.
The group is civilian, meaning they are not part of the armed forces.
'non-military' means 'not related to the military', not 'opposed to war' (which would be 'anti-war' or 'pacifist').

Word family

  • military
    adjectiveB1
  • military
    nounB1
  • militarise
    verbC1
  • militarisation
    nounC1
  • militarism
    nounC1
  • militarist
    nounC1
  • demilitarise
    verbC1
  • demilitarisation
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something outside of armed forces, but they differ in scope and context. 'Civilian' is the most common everyday word and refers mainly to people who are not soldiers; it can also describe areas or activities (civilian life, civilian airport) but works best for individuals. 'Civil' is more formal and legal (civil court, civil government) — it contrasts with 'military' in the context of state institutions rather than individual roles. 'Non-combatant' is a narrower term that describes people who do not fight even when they are in a conflict zone, such as medical workers or journalists. 'Unarmed' focuses on the absence of weapons as a physical state — a police officer can be unarmed, but that does not make them civilian or non-combatant. For describing a job or organisation with no connection to the military, 'non-military' and 'civilian' are the most natural choices: 'she took a non-military job at a hospital' and 'she works in a civilian hospital' are both correct, though 'civilian' is more common for people and 'non-military' for purposes and activities.

civilian ↗civil ↗non-combatantunarmed

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • non-military purposes
  • non-military personnel
  • non-military use

Etymology

EnglishFrenchLatin

Formed by adding the prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') to 'military', which entered English from French 'militaire', tracing back to Latin 'militaris' (of soldiers or war), from 'miles' (soldier). The prefix 'non-' has been used in English since the 1300s to negate nouns and adjectives.