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.

Footage from the scene showed ambulances and civil defence crews searching through the damaged building as crowds gathered nearby.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

An AFP photographer saw civil defence personnel recovering equipment from the rubble.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

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

From BBC • Apr. 23, 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 Algerian civil defence said it deployed some 300 firefighters and two water-bombing aircraft to contain the blaze.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

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