civil defense

American  

noun

1. plans or activities organized by civilians and civilian authorities for the protection of civilian population and property in times of such disasters or emergencies as war or floods.

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Etymology

Origin of civil defense

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

civil defense

The boy received first aid and was immediately taken to hospital, the Jordanian civil defense said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Throughout the 15-month ceasefire that followed, he spent his time coordinating with repair personnel and civil defense crews to get the village running, even as Israeli strikes persisted across south Lebanon.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

Lebanese civil defense said strikes hit half a dozen sites in the heart of Beirut—upscale neighborhoods and tourist areas outside of Hezbollah’s traditional Shia Muslim strongholds in the southern suburbs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

"It requires surveys to discover and track NEOs, campaigns to characterize those that are hazardous, modeling efforts to understand and predict impact effects and associated consequences, and mitigation through impact avoidance and/or civil defense."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2025

The undertone of fear that San Francisco would be bombed which was abetted by weekly air raid warnings, and civil defense drills in school, heightened my sense of belonging.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou