The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

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

Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

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.