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
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And unlike some other European countries, Finland has kept around 50,000 Cold-War era civil defense shelters, which could accommodate roughly 85% of the population of about 5.5 million. James Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024 What to Know From firearm training to maintaining Cold War-era civil defense shelters, Finland is positioning itself as a model of resilience and readiness in a volatile geopolitical climate. Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 The strike also killed three civil defense workers, including the local head of the agency, according to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024 Recognizing such gaps, a grassroots civil defense movement has sprung up in Taiwan in recent years. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near civil defense

Cite this Entry

“Civil defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20defense. Accessed 19 Jan. 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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