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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
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1939, in the meaning defined above
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
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil defense
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