civil defence

British

noun

the organizing of civilians to deal with enemy attacks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Khalil's body was later recovered by emergency teams, according to Lebanon's civil defence agency.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

The civil defence agency, which is operated by Hamas, says children and women were among those killed.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Gaza's civil defence agency spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, appealed for the full reopening of Rafah to allow the entry of unlimited aid and equipment for reconstruction.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

The government civil defence department said Sunday that nearly 1,200,000 people had been preemptively evacuated ahead of the approaching typhoon.

From Barron's • Nov. 9, 2025

A civil defence spokesman said evacuations had to be carried out by Sunday morning at the latest and should not be attempted during heavy rain and strong winds.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023