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
Gaza's civil defense agency said there were initial reports of at least nine people killed and injured in Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Younis.
—
Npr's International Desk, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
As everything else in the country, the civil defense system, which used to be efficient in preventing deaths in the past, has struggled under the governments of Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
After coordinating with the United Nations, Gaza’s civil defense recovered on Saturday nine bodies, including four children and three women.
—Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Sweden’s government has allocated 575 million kronor ($60 million) for emergency grain storage with the initial priority given to the north of the country, which civil defense minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said was strategically important for its military and defense.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 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.
Npr's International Desk, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
As everything else in the country, the civil defense system, which used to be efficient in preventing deaths in the past, has struggled under the governments of Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
After coordinating with the United Nations, Gaza’s civil defense recovered on Saturday nine bodies, including four children and three women.
—Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Sweden’s government has allocated 575 million kronor ($60 million) for emergency grain storage with the initial priority given to the north of the country, which civil defense minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said was strategically important for its military and defense.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share