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
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.
Two minutes later, when the sirens were upgraded to an air raid alert, Nagano instructed his secretary to contact the relevant department heads, police, and fire officials to inform them that the venue for the meeting would be changed to the prefectural civil defense bunker in Rokasu‑machi. Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 Waves up to a foot had been observed in Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific where there had been an advisory warning, according to the island’s civil defense office. Chad De Guzman, Time, 31 July 2025 And in 1956 the Federal-Aid Highway Act funded 41,000 miles of interstate—an asphalt backbone justified as civil defense infrastructure but experienced as a coast-to-coast permission slip for self-reinvention. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 22 June 2025 Iraq has witnessed similar deadly incidents in the past, often attributed to a lack of adherence to civil defense regulations, and poor safety measures and electrical short circuits. Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for civil defense

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of civil defense was in 1939

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Civil defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20defense. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

civil defense

noun
: protective actions and emergency relief activities carried on by civilians in case of enemy attack or natural disaster

More from Merriam-Webster on civil defense

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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