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.

Origin of civil defense

1
First recorded in 1935–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use civil defense in a sentence

  • In 1990, the army's civil defense corps—precursor of today's Home Front Command—handled distribution.

  • I'd heard sirens like these before -- they test the civil defense sirens at noon on Tuesdays.

    Little Brother | Cory Doctorow
  • A couple of guys fishing on the lake saw the explosion and called the local civil defense head-quarters.

    A Mixture of Genius | Arnold Castle
  • A civil defense official brought up a Geiger counter, but no matter how he shook it and rapped on it, it refused to click.

  • A nationwide civil defense system now exists in the United States, and is being enlarged and improved constantly.

    In Time Of Emergency | Department of Defense
  • The Office of civil defense, however, is solely responsible for the validity and accuracy of the information in the handbook.

    In Time Of Emergency | Department of Defense