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 More than 200 people have been killed as the Israeli military’s offensive in northern Gaza enters its ninth day, Gaza’s civil defense said. NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024 Beirut residents left reeling from Israeli strikes In the Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood of central Beirut, civil defense workers dug through concrete and twisted metal from a three-story building brought down the day before — the deadliest Israeli air raid to hit the capital over the last year. Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024 And the Algerian Red Crescent launched a disaster management unit in Tizi Ouzou – a 45-strong team of doctors, psychologists, and paramedics – to intervene at pace and support the civil defense forces in evacuating the injured. Madjid Serrah, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2024 The bodies are strewn in the streets for 4 to 5 (days), maybe a week, and no civil defense can evacuate them. Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for civil defense 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civil defense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 5 Nov. 2024.

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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