Civil War Definition: War between elements of a national armed forces, a faction of which seeks to displace the existing government. Related Terms: Revolution, Coup d'etat, War Luttwak defines a civil war as follows:"... actual warfare between elements of the national armed forces leading to the displacement of a government." That is not entirely accurate as not all civil wars result in the "displacement of a government" although it would be accurate to state that the aim of any civil war is to displace an existing government.REFERENCES:Luttwak, E., Coup D'état: A Practical Handbook (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1979), page 24. Categories & Topics: Constitutional, Human Rights and Administrative Law Dictionary International Law Dictionary Military Law Dictionary Find you are constantly looking up definitions? Try our search provider (works in most modern browsers) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Legal Dictionary, or if you have legal term suggestion, we'd love to hear from you!