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Meaning & use

civil commotion

noun·Advancedlegalformal

Last updated

UK/ˌsɪvl kəˈməʊʃn/
US/ˌsɪvl kəˈmoʊʃn/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablelegalformal

    A violent public disturbance by a group of people, such as a riot, that disrupts normal life in an area.

    Grammar: Countable and formal: 'a civil commotion', 'civil commotions'; often appears in insurance policies and legal texts.

    Patterns

    • a civil commotion
    • damage caused by civil commotion
    • insurance against civil commotion

    The insurance policy does not cover damage caused by civil commotion.

    Troops were sent in after a civil commotion broke out in the capital.

    Several shops were destroyed during the civil commotion last summer.

  2. nouncountablelegalspecialist

    In law, a public uprising or disorder that is smaller than a war but more serious than a peaceful protest.

    Grammar: Used in legal writing to distinguish such events from war or ordinary crime.

    Patterns

    • be classed as a civil commotion
    • exclude civil commotion from cover

    The court had to decide whether the events amounted to a civil commotion.

    The contract lists war, terrorism, and civil commotion as excluded risks.

Word forms

pluralcivil commotions

Common combinations

damage from civil commotion
The claim for damage from civil commotion was rejected.
cover against civil commotion
The factory is covered against civil commotion.
a civil commotion breaks out
A civil commotion broke out after the announcement.
during a civil commotion
Many families fled during the civil commotion.

Synonyms and how they differ

riot
The everyday word for a violent public disturbance; 'civil commotion' is broader and mainly legal.
unrest
Can describe peaceful protest and tension too, so it is less specific about violence.
insurrection
Much stronger and more political; it suggests an attempt to overthrow a government.

Opposites

peacecalm

Word family

commotion noun
noisy confusion or movement, often on a smaller scale
civil adjective
relating to ordinary citizens or to non-military matters

Commonly confused: civil commotion or civil unrest?

civil commotion vs civil unrest

'Civil unrest' covers protests and strikes as well as violence; 'civil commotion' in legal use means serious violent disorder.

Practice

In which situation would an insurance company most likely use the term 'civil commotion'?

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