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.
Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people the following day, including two children, according to Lebanon’s civil defense agency, and its health ministry said that the latest action brought the nation’s death toll above 4,000. Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 June 2026 More strikes were reported in southern Lebanon earlier today, with the country’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reporting that civil defense teams recovered the bodies of four people, including children, after an airstrike hit a residential house in the town of Adloun. Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 Additional organizations, including the Youth Labor Army, Ejército Juvenil del Trabajo, and civil defense structures provide further mobilization and internal-control capabilities. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026 Lebanon's civil defense said earlier that one of its members was killed in an Israeli attack on the south. CBS News, 8 May 2026 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 24 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

civil defense

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

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