民事
Meanings
1
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
civil affairs; civil case
Refers to matters under civil law, as opposed to criminal (刑事). Often used in legal contexts and compounds like 民事訴訟 (civil lawsuit).
The matter was treated as a criminal case, not a civil one.
He decided to file a civil lawsuit.
Usage patterns
- 〈事〉を民事で解決するto settle a matter through civil (rather than criminal) proceedings
The dispute ended up being settled through civil proceedings.
- 民事責任を負うto bear civil liability
The company ended up bearing civil liability for the accident.
- 民事上の〈事〉a matter that is civil in nature (as opposed to criminal)
This is a civil matter, so the police won't get involved.