Glossary of terms
| cacolet | a seat or bed fitted to a camel or mule for carrying sick or wounded people |
| cadet | a student or young person undergoing military training, usually before full entry to the services, especially for officer status |
| calibre | the width of the inside of a gun's barrel |
| casualty | a person who is injured or killed in a war |
| Casualty Clearance Post (CCP) | a safe area within a conflict zone or disaster site, for triage and emergency treatment of casualties before they are transported elsewhere for further care. |
| Catafalque | a temporary raised platform on which a body lies in state before or during a funeral |
| catalyst | a person or thing that causes a change or event to happen |
| Catholic | a member of the Catholic Church, the branch of Christianity |
| cavalry | the group of soldiers in an army who fight on horseback |
| ceasefire | an arrangement in which countries or groups of people that are fighting each other agree to stop fighting |
| celerity | swiftness in acting or moving; speed |
| censor | to officially examine letters of the media and cut out any information that is regarded as secret |
| cipher | a secret system of writing used to send encrypted messages |
| Citizen Military Forces (CMF) | an armed force of part-time members, including conscripts, trained for Australia's home defence that operated from 1916 to 1929. The CMF was raised again on 19 February 1943 by an Act of Parliament that enabled conscripts to serve overseas in the South-Western Pacific Zone and operated until 1947. |
| Citizens Forces | an armed force of part-time members trained for Australia's home defence that operated from 1901 to 1915. Its members were all volunteers until conscription was introduced on 1 January 1911. Members could not serve outside Australia and its territories. |
| civil war | a war or conflict fought between 2 or more different groups of people who live in the same country |
| civilian | describes a person who is not a member of the armed forces |
| coalition | an alliance between two or more nations, groups or political parties, especially for some temporary and specific reason |
| collectivism | the political belief that a country's industries and services should be owned and controlled by the state or by all the people in a country |
| collier | a ship designed to transport coal |
| colony | a country that is controlled by a more powerful country |
| combatant | a nation or person engaged in active fighting with enemy forces |
| commandeer | officially take charge of a vehicle, vessel, building, supplies or equipment for a military purpose |
| commemorate | to remember an event or person through a special action or ceremony or a specially created object |
| commerce raiding | a form of naval warfare that disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping |
| commission | an official document issued by a government that confers an appointment or rank in the armed forces |
| Commonwealth Military Forces | the official name of the land warfare force in Australia, which was formed on 1 March 1901 after Federation; its title changed to the Australian Military Forces in 1916 and the Australian Army in 1980. |
| Commonwealth Naval Forces (CNF) | the official name of the naval force in Australia when it was formed on 1 March 1901 after Federation; its title became the Royal Australian Navy on 10 July 1911. |
| Commonwealth of Nations | a voluntary association of the United Kingdom, states that were previously part of the British Empire, and dependencies |
| company | about 100 to 225 infantry troops usually commanded by a captain or major |
| compensation | money or anything given as an equivalent to make amends for losses or damages |
| conscientious objector | someone who refuses to meet a community or political obligation, such as compulsory military service |
| conscription | when citizens are made to join their country's military force, such as the army |
| contingent | a group of military personnel serving on the same side or for the same cause |
| convalesce | to rest and recover health after an illness or operation |
| convoy | a group of ships with an escort of warships, or a group of vehicles travelling together with a military escort |
| cordite | a smokeless explosive substance used in bombs and guns |
| cot case | a person too ill to leave their bed |
| counterattack | a military attack in response to an attack |
| coup d'etat | overthrowing of an existing government illegally or by force |
| curfew | a law that people must stay home after a particular time at night, often during a war or civilian crisis |