# human shield

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Civilians which a military group has deliberately placed combat targets near to deter an enemy from attacking those targets.
2. Third parties used cynically to divert attention away from accusations against oneself.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/human-shield