noun phrase · academic
civil society
/ˌsɪvəl səˈsaɪəti/CIV·il so·CI·e·ty
groups and organisations outside the government that represent people and influence society
Examples
“A strong civil society can pressure governments to improve transparency.”
“International donors often support civil society to promote local development.”
“Civil society organisations organised a campaign against the proposal.”
Band 8 sentence
“A vibrant civil society is essential for holding governments accountable and fostering grassroots solutions to social problems.”
Collocations
- strengthen civil society
- emerging civil society
- support civil society organisations
Word family
Common mistakes
society civil→civil society
community→civil society
Say it for a higher band
5community→6non-governmental groups→7+civil society
Synonyms
NGOs and community groups
Easily confused
community
“Local communities often volunteer to help rebuild houses after floods.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Society & Government
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