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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In response, the country has mobilized 15,000 security forces along its Colombian border and announced plans to patrol territorial waters with drones and naval vessels, while encouraging civil defense training nationwide. Emma Marsden john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025 Roughly nine minutes elapsed between the first strike and the later two, during which first responders, civil defense workers and journalists rushed up to the fourth-floor site to attend to the initial victims and document the attack. Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025 Two minutes later, when the sirens were upgraded to an air raid alert, Nagano instructed his secretary to contact the relevant department heads, police, and fire officials to inform them that the venue for the meeting would be changed to the prefectural civil defense bunker in Rokasu‑machi. Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 Read’s civil defense team has been active in the aftermath of the criminal trial, recently demanding a wide range of documents involving her criminal case from state prosecutors to the Massachusetts State Police to federal agencies. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for civil defense

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of civil defense was in 1939

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Civil defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20defense. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

civil defense

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

More from Merriam-Webster on civil defense

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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