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
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
The basic premise of civil defense was that many people would die immediately in cities directly targeted by nuclear attacks.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Aug. 2025
Guam Waves up to a foot have been observed in Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, according to the island’s civil defense office.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 30 July 2025
For the first time this year, Taiwan combined its two major civil defense exercises, Wan An and Min An, into a single, island-wide rehearsal: the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercise, staged in conjunction with Han Kuang 41, the island’s largest-ever military simulation.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil defense
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.
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
The basic premise of civil defense was that many people would die immediately in cities directly targeted by nuclear attacks.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Aug. 2025
Guam Waves up to a foot have been observed in Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, according to the island’s civil defense office.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 30 July 2025
For the first time this year, Taiwan combined its two major civil defense exercises, Wan An and Min An, into a single, island-wide rehearsal: the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercise, staged in conjunction with Han Kuang 41, the island’s largest-ever military simulation.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 17 July 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 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share