Definition

1. Noun:
   • The official time in a local region (adjusted for location around the Earth); established by law or custom: "Civil time" refers to the legally or conventionally accepted time standard for a specific geographic area, such as a time zone. It is the time used for civil, commercial, and legal purposes by the general public.

Usage

• Civil time is a standard, countable noun. It is used to specify the official local time, often in contrast to other time systems like Universal Time (UT) or solar time.
• It is typically used in formal, technical, or legal contexts related to timekeeping, geography, and regulations.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The train schedule is based on the civil time of the region.
  • When traveling across time zones, you must adjust your watch to the local civil time.
  • Daylight Saving Time is an adjustment to the standard civil time during summer months.

Advanced Usage

• "Mean civil time": A more precise term referring to civil time based on the mean solar day, as opposed to apparent solar time.
  • Clocks show mean civil time, which averages out the variations in solar days.
• In contrast to other systems: Civil time is often discussed in relation to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or sidereal time.
  • The observatory's operations are logged in UTC, but public events are scheduled in local civil time.

Variants and Related Words

• Standard Time (n): The official civil time for a region when it is not adjusted for Daylight Saving Time.
  • Arizona remains on Mountain Standard Time as its civil time year-round.
• Local Time (n): Often used synonymously with civil time in everyday language to mean the time observed in a particular place.
  • Please confirm the meeting start in your local time.

Synonyms

• Local time: The time as established for a specific locality.
• Legal time: Time as prescribed by law for a given jurisdiction.
• Zone time: Time within a specific time zone.

Related Phrases

• Keep civil time: To adhere to the official local time standard.
  • All government offices must keep civil time.
• Civil time zone: A region that observes a uniform standard civil time.
  • The country is divided into four civil time zones.

Noun

1. the official time in a local region (adjusted for location around the Earth); established by law or custom