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

Hassan Saboula, director of Jawf's civil defense agency, said a child was among the 23 killed Monday and that rescue teams were still searching for seven missing from the attack. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

Hassan Saboula, director of Jawf’s civil defense agency, said a child was among the 23 killed on Monday and that rescue teams were still searching for seven missing from the attack. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The 24-hour weather updates issued by the country's civil defense also warned of possible flash floods or landslides. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

More than 2,000 people including volunteers and students are taking part in the biggest civil defense exercise in Europe since the end of World War II. — Emma Burrows, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for civil defense

• hyperintense
• antisense
• commonsense
• effulgence
• frankincense
• ninepence
• nondefense
• recommence
• recompence
• recompense
• cense
• dense

Kids Definition

civil defense

noun

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