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
This includes launching a whole-of-society resilience campaign, simulating realistic scenarios of Chinese military attacks in defense training, expanding public participation in civil defense, and simulating responses to cyberattacks and gray-zone threats.
—
Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
The sirens will wail, much like tornado or civil defense sirens, with a range of up to a mile and a half depending on terrain and leaf-cover, Grasty said.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
An 11-year-old Palestinian girl, Marah Haddad, was rescued by civil defense teams after being trapped for nearly 10 hours under rubble following an Israeli strike on a residential area in Sheva Square.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
In the past three weeks, Gaza's civil defense, or first responders, say Israel has destroyed some 1,500 homes in the Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods of eastern Gaza City.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
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Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
The sirens will wail, much like tornado or civil defense sirens, with a range of up to a mile and a half depending on terrain and leaf-cover, Grasty said.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
An 11-year-old Palestinian girl, Marah Haddad, was rescued by civil defense teams after being trapped for nearly 10 hours under rubble following an Israeli strike on a residential area in Sheva Square.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
In the past three weeks, Gaza's civil defense, or first responders, say Israel has destroyed some 1,500 homes in the Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods of eastern Gaza City.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 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 27 Sep. 2025.
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