civil defense

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil defense¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Roughly 10 minutes later, as a live broadcast from a local news channel zoomed in on civil defense workers sifting through the wreckage with journalists filming nearby, the second missile hit.

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A day before the earthquake in Myanmar, Taiwan’s government staged civil defense drills on how to respond to a major disaster.

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In the 70 days before the cease-fire took effect, Aitaroun lost 51 Hezbollah operatives fighting there and elsewhere in the south, along with 16 women, 10 civil defense workers and five children.

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For example, Singapore’s strict fire prevention laws, enforced by an active civil defense force, offer lessons in how to stop fires before they start.

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The Eisenhower administration, busy building a civil defense network in the middle of the Cold War, worked with Congress to pass new disaster relief laws.

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