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
More strikes were reported in southern Lebanon earlier today, with the country’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reporting that civil defense teams recovered the bodies of four people, including children, after an airstrike hit a residential house in the town of Adloun.
—
Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Additional organizations, including the Youth Labor Army, Ejército Juvenil del Trabajo, and civil defense structures provide further mobilization and internal-control capabilities.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Lebanon's civil defense said earlier that one of its members was killed in an Israeli attack on the south.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
Khalil remained under the rubble for hours before the Lebanese army, civil defense and the Lebanese Red Cross were able to get to the scene hours later.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
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Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Additional organizations, including the Youth Labor Army, Ejército Juvenil del Trabajo, and civil defense structures provide further mobilization and internal-control capabilities.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Lebanon's civil defense said earlier that one of its members was killed in an Israeli attack on the south.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
Khalil remained under the rubble for hours before the Lebanese army, civil defense and the Lebanese Red Cross were able to get to the scene hours later.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
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 4 Jun. 2026.
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