civilly

This adverb describes a specific type of social interaction characterized by formal politeness. It implies a baseline of courtesy and decorum that allows people to interact without conflict, even when there is a lack of genuine warmth, affection, or mutual liking. It is often used to describe the minimum acceptable behavior between adversaries.

In a legal context, the term shifts from social behavior to a technical classification. It distinguishes proceedings that deal with private disputes between individuals or organizations from those involving criminal prosecution. In this sense, it refers to the application of civil law rather than penal law.