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
The following day, the Holy Family school in Gaza City, where Israeli forces have expanded operations in recent days, was hit in a separate strike, Gaza's civil defense agency said in a post on Telegram on Sunday.
—
Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 10 July 2024
But the United States should also help Taiwan establish a robust civil defense program and create strategic reserves of food and energy to bolster deterrence and, if China invades, enable Taiwan to hold out until U.S. forces arrive.
—Bonnie S. Glaser, Foreign Affairs, 2 July 2024
The fierce fighting that been underway in Rafah as Israel seeks to destroy Hamas in Gaza continued on Sunday, with a civil defense official in Gaza telling CNN that heavy clashes are ongoing in neighborhoods of western Rafah.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 16 June 2024
The law does have exemptions, including holiday costumes, masks that are involved in a person’s employment, theater productions and masks used during a civil defense drill, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil defense 
Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 10 July 2024
But the United States should also help Taiwan establish a robust civil defense program and create strategic reserves of food and energy to bolster deterrence and, if China invades, enable Taiwan to hold out until U.S. forces arrive.
—Bonnie S. Glaser, Foreign Affairs, 2 July 2024
The fierce fighting that been underway in Rafah as Israel seeks to destroy Hamas in Gaza continued on Sunday, with a civil defense official in Gaza telling CNN that heavy clashes are ongoing in neighborhoods of western Rafah.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 16 June 2024
The law does have exemptions, including holiday costumes, masks that are involved in a person’s employment, theater productions and masks used during a civil defense drill, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 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.
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 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share