different between uncivil vs abusive

English

Etymology

un- +? civil

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?v?l

Adjective

uncivil (comparative more uncivil, superlative most uncivil)

1. Not civilized

   Synonyms: savage, barbarous, uncivilized

2. Not civil; discourteous; impolite

   uncivil behavior

   • 2007, The Times, 24 Dec 2007:

     John Terry and Frank Lampard would not have reacted as the Nigerian did to the (admittedly X-rated) challenge that led to the Liverpool forward being sent off in last week’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea. All very dangerous, all very uncivil.

   • 2008, New York Times, 4 Feb 2008:

     But since you probably weren’t there, and be thankful for that, here is a quick primer on local, uncivil civics so that you might appreciate the recent political clamor in this part of eastern Tennessee.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:impolite

See also

• incivil

References

• uncivil in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• uncivil in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin ab?s?vus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse +? -ive.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bju?.s?v/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??bju.s?v/, /??bju.z?v/

Adjective

abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)

1. Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. [First attested in the early 17th century.]

2. (obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. [Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.]
   • 1623, Francis Bacon, A Discourse of a War with Spain

     an abusive treaty

3. (archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
4. Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
5. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. [First attested in the mid 16th century.]
6. (archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.]

Synonyms

• (prone to treating badly): reproachful, scurrilous, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative

Derived terms

• abusively
• abusiveness

Translations

References

French

Adjective

abusive

1. feminine singular of abusif

Italian

Adjective

abusive

1. feminine plural of abusivo

Latin

Adjective

ab?s?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of ab?s?vus

References

• abusive in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press