Difference between Citizen and Civilian
The two terms are independent of one another. A person can be both, a citizen of any country and a civilian; they can be either, a citizen but not a civilian, i.e. in the military; or a civilian that is not part of that country. A person may be neither, nor a recognized citizen of any country but still part of the military or a militant group. However, these kinds of situations are quite rare.
Let’s consider an example: a soldier in the British Army is a British citizen. They have to be a citizen in order to be able to enlist in the army. As part of the army, they cannot be considered a civilian. Whereas, a tourist visiting the country is most likely a civilian, i.e. not part of any military or militant groups, but that does not make them a British citizen.
Comparison between Citizen and Civilian:
Citizen | Civilian | |
Definition (Oxford Dictionaries) | A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized. | A person not in the armed services or the police force. |
Description | Any resident of a country that has certain rights and liberties | Not part of any military or militant group |
Military | May or may not be a part of the military | Is not a part of the military |
Citizenship | Has citizenship | May or may not have a citizenship |
Reference: Oxford Dictionaires (Citizen and Civilian), Wikipedia (Citizen and Civilian) Image Courtesy: boroondara.vic.gov.au, linkedin.com
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