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

"It rained a lot, the riverbank collapsed even further, and civil defense called us to evacuate," Luiz Otavio Souza, a 35-year-old salesman who had to leave his home and whose nephew is missing, told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Summoned to the scene, the new police and civil defense officials who took over during the transition had fished out the bodies, which were then sent to Damascus for a forensic analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

"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

Nine people remain missing, according to Lebanon’s civil defense.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2024

A civil defense official in Las Vegas, Nevada, recommended the formation of a five-thousand-man militia—not to fight Russians, but to beat back Californians who might arrive once the bombs began to fall.

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