Etymology

defensive

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Today it means: Intended for defence; protective. Full definition →

First used 16th c.Middle French défensif
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The story

  1. Middle French · derived fromdéfensif
  2. English todaydefensive

From Middle French défensif. Morphologically defense + -ive.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 16th c. A means, attitude or position of defense. Chiefly in on the defensive.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.