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
There was a nationwide civil defense drill to test emergency preparedness; the front page of a newspaper had a photo of schoolchildren taking cover under their desks.
—
Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
At the center in Borj Qalaouiya, doctors, paramedics and nurses were killed along with Jishi’s father, a medic in the civil defense service.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Conscription and extensive civil defense shelters, now historical curios in much of the West, remain bedrock elements of Finnish defense.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Ash fell so heavily during a previous fountaining episode that some communities needed help from county civil defense workers to clean up ash that coated their homes, Callis said.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
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Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
At the center in Borj Qalaouiya, doctors, paramedics and nurses were killed along with Jishi’s father, a medic in the civil defense service.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Conscription and extensive civil defense shelters, now historical curios in much of the West, remain bedrock elements of Finnish defense.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Ash fell so heavily during a previous fountaining episode that some communities needed help from county civil defense workers to clean up ash that coated their homes, Callis said.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 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 28 Mar. 2026.
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