civil defense

noun

: the system of protective measures and emergency relief activities conducted by civilians in case of hostile attack, sabotage, or natural disaster

Example Sentences

She's in training to be part of the local civil defense.

the head of civil defense

Recent Examples on the Web

Some said civil defense workers did not arrive until later in the afternoon of the earthquake. —Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2023

But with the Ukrainian military quickly overwhelmed, the civil defense units disbanded. —Michael Fiorentino, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2023

But the center’s few vehicles were needed for civil defense purposes and thus unavailable. —Dr. Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023

On Thursday, Greece's civil defense minister flew to southern Turkey to oversee the relief effort. —Margherita Stancati, WSJ, 9 Feb. 2023

Tens of thousands of people in that area were newly homeless, said Raed Saleh, director of the White Helmets, a civil defense and rescue group that operates in areas outside of government control. —Hwaida Saad, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2023

Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the U.S. has deployed numerous naval assets in the area. —Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2022

More than 220 people attended a community meeting last weekend that county civil defense officials held in Ocean View, a neighborhood that lava could reach in hours if molten rock erupts through vents on Mauna Loa's southwest flank. —Audrey Mcavoy, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2022

The fire started Thursday afternoon on the ground floor of a six-story Hashem Foods Ltd. factory in Rupganj, east of the capital Dhaka, Debashis Bardhan, deputy director of the fire service and civil defense said. —CNN, 10 July 2021

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Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

civil defense

noun

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