civil defense
noun
: the system of protective measures and emergency relief activities conducted by civilians in case of hostile attack, sabotage, or natural disaster
Examples of civil defense in a Sentence
She's in training to be part of the local civil defense.
the head of civil defense
Recent Examples on the Web
Syria’s civil defense, popularly known as the White Helmets, said emergency teams were working to transfer the bodies to hospitals and secure the area.
—
Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 22 June 2025
The early ‘60s were a time of fallout shelters, civil defense warnings, civil rights riots, and little understood international crises that frightened our parents – and us because of it.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025
Sallee recorded a video of the civil defense siren blaring at the wedding.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 28 May 2025
Finland’s civil defense shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86% of the Finnish population.
—Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 22 June 2025
The early ‘60s were a time of fallout shelters, civil defense warnings, civil rights riots, and little understood international crises that frightened our parents – and us because of it.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025
Sallee recorded a video of the civil defense siren blaring at the wedding.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 28 May 2025
Finland’s civil defense shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86% of the Finnish population.
—Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
Cite this Entry
“Civil defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20defense. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share