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.
Sweden, along with its Nordic neighbors, has put an emphasis on civil defense, or non-military efforts of the entire population to shield civilians and vital infrastructure during war or disaster. Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025 To ease the burden, the White Helmets have merged with the regime-era civil defense first responders. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2025 A day before the earthquake in Myanmar, Taiwan’s government staged civil defense drills on how to respond to a major disaster. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025 Supplies for civil defense, debris removal, and rubble clearance will also be delivered. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 17 Jan. 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 21 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!