civilian
According to international humanitarian law, a civilian is any person who is not a member of a country’s armed forces. See this International Committee of the Red Cross database. One exception to this general rule is called “levee en masse,” applying to people who have not yet been invaded by an enemy but spontaneously take up arms to resist.
There are numerous provisions that are meant to protect civilians during war. For example, see, Geneva Convention and Rome Statute.
[Last reviewed in July of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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