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 government is being extremely careful to make sure this exercise doesn’t affect daily routines,” said Chiayo Kuo, a member of a committee established by Lai to improve Taiwan’s civil defense and disaster response.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Taiwan began 10 days of military and civil defense exercises on Wednesday to advance its strategy for deterring a potential Chinese invasion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

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

"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

“Iowa is not ready for a nuclear attack,” announced the state’s civil defense director.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin