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civil defense
noun
: the system of protective measures and emergency relief activities conducted by civilians in case of hostile attack, sabotage, or natural disaster
Examples of civil defense in a Sentence
She's in training to be part of the local civil defense.
the head of civil defense
Recent Examples on the Web
Persistent rains and destructive flooding in the southern Brazilian state have left 150 people dead, 2.1 million affected, 620,000 residents displaced and 807 people injured, according to civil defense officials.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 17 May 2024
About 136 people have also been reported to be missing, the state's civil defense authority has said, as per Reuters.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
The state's civil defense reported that nearly half of its 497 cities have been affected.
—Fox News, 3 May 2024
Nearly 10,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, the civil defense agency in Rio Grande do Sul said in a statement.
—Ana Ionova, New York Times, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil defense
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civil defense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1939, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near civil defense
Cite this Entry
“Civil defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20defense. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
civil defense
noun
: protective actions and emergency relief activities carried on by civilians in case of enemy attack or natural disaster
More from Merriam-Webster on civil defense
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil defense
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