Definition

1. Noun:
   • Civilian: A person who is not a member of the armed forces or police. This is the most common and specific meaning, denoting the ordinary population as opposed to military or state personnel.
   • Ordinary people / the common people: Refers to the general populace, the average person without special rank, status, or privilege. It emphasizes the contrast with the elite, officials, or authorities.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Khu vực này chỉ dành cho dân thường. (This area is for civilians only.)
  • Là một dân thường, ông ấy không có quyền lực đặc biệt. (As an ordinary citizen, he has no special power.)
  • Cuộc sống của dân thường đôi khi rất khó khăn. (The life of common people is sometimes very difficult.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in legal and social contexts to distinguish between state/military actors and the general populace.
  • Luật pháp bảo vệ quyền lợi của dân thường trong vùng xung đột. (The law protects the rights of civilians in conflict zones.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thường dân (n): A synonym with identical meaning (civilian, commoner).
  • Thường dân không được phép vào doanh trại. (Civilians are not permitted to enter the barracks.)

Synonyms

• Civilian: A non-military person.
• Commoner: A person without noble rank or title.
• The populace: The ordinary people of a community or nation.

Related Idioms

• Dân thường trăm họ: Literally "the common people of a hundred families," meaning the broad masses of ordinary people.
  • Chính sách này ảnh hưởng trực tiếp đến dân thường trăm họ. (This policy directly affects the common masses.)

1. the rand and file, the man in the street
2. Civilian (as opposite to soldiers)