incivil

/ɪnˈsɪv.ɪl/

//ɪnˈsɪv.ɪl// adj

"incivil" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incivil” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Displaying a lack of courtesy; rude, impolite.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incivil · incivil · English

incivil · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for incivil
PropertyValue
Headwordincivil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈsɪv.ɪl/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “incivil” in English

incivilfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

incivil is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪnˈsɪv.ɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for incivil in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + civil. The correct English form is incivil, spelled I-N-C-I-V-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Displaying a lack of courtesy; rude, impolite.
  2. 2
    Uncivilized, barbarous.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how incivil appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. "No matter how rude or incivil the existing habits of behavior, in other words, if the creature was in fact a human being, then he/she was necessarily endowed with a soul and thus with a capacity of understanding at least sufficient to absorb and retain Europe's instruction."
  2. Oft haue I heard your Maieſtie complain, Of Tamburlaine that ſturdie Scythian thiefe, That robs your merchants of Perſepolis, Trading by land vnto the westerne Iſles, And in your confines with his lawleſſe traine, Daily commits inciuill outrages.

Etymology

From in- + civil.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "incivil"?
"incivil" is spelled I-N-C-I-V-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈsɪv.ɪl/.
What does "incivil" mean?
As an adjective, "incivil" means: Displaying a lack of courtesy; rude, impolite.
How do you pronounce "incivil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incivil" is /ɪnˈsɪv.ɪl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "incivil"?
From in- + civil. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list