Meaning & use
civil year
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A period of 365 or 366 days that starts on January 1 and ends on December 31, used for official and everyday purposes.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a civil year' or 'civil years' when comparing different periods.
Patterns
- the civil year
- a civil year
- in the civil year
The tax office calculates income based on the civil year, not the school year.
Many businesses close their accounts at the end of the civil year.
The civil year 2024 has 366 days because it is a leap year.
Word forms
| plural | civil years |
|---|
Common combinations
- the civil year
- The civil year begins on January 1.
- end of the civil year
- We review our budget at the end of the civil year.
- during the civil year
- During the civil year, many holidays are observed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- calendar year
- This is the more common everyday term; 'civil year' is used mainly in legal or official contexts to contrast with other year types.
- fiscal year
- A fiscal year is a company's or government's financial period, which may not match the civil year.
Commonly confused: civil year or calendar year?
civil year vs calendar year
These are often interchangeable, but 'civil year' emphasizes the legal or civil calendar, while 'calendar year' is the general term.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'civil year' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The civil year is defined as January 1 to December 31. It is not tied to spring, not the same as a school year, and can be 366 days in a leap year, so the other options are incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “civil year”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.