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
Sweden’s minister for civil defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, said the attack on a heating plant in western Sweden failed, giving no further details.
—
ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Israeli strikes killed 91 people in Lebanon’s capital city, the civil defense service said.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The Lebanese civil defense forces said over 250 people were killed.
—Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
The Lebanese civil defense unit put the toll as significantly higher, with at least 250 people killed — 92 in Beirut alone.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
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ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Israeli strikes killed 91 people in Lebanon’s capital city, the civil defense service said.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The Lebanese civil defense forces said over 250 people were killed.
—Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
The Lebanese civil defense unit put the toll as significantly higher, with at least 250 people killed — 92 in Beirut alone.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 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 17 Apr. 2026.
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