Meanings
defense1
plural defenses · alternative UK defence
- Anything employed to oppose attack(s).
- UScountableuncountableAn argument in support or justification of something.
to come to someone's defense
- USbroadlycountableuncountablelawThe case presented by the defendant in a legal proceeding.
- UScountableeuphemisticuncountablegovernmentGovernment policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
Department of Defense
- UScountableobsoleteuncountableA prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
present singular third person defenses · participle present defensing · participle past defensed · past defensed · alternative UK defence
- UShobbiesTo employ defensive tactics (so as to block).First known use 1932
“It was most important to start the second half right,” Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall said. “They dug in and defensed the right way.”
2014 November 28, Associated Press, “Vols beat Santa Clara, face Kansas”, in The Tennessean, page 22 more examples
In fact, there is an increase in the effectiveness of the Five Cutter Offense when teams put pressure on, instead of sagging or switching in an attempt to defense the attack successfully.
1972, Robert Cimbollek, Basketball’s Percentage Offense, West Nyack, N.Y.: Parker Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 114But the Buffs’ coaching staff made some adjustments in the way they defensed the Heights’ vaunted veer-option offense, and after being bullied around for 271 yards in the first half, yielded only 140 in the second half.
2013 November 16, Brett Marshall, “The Garden City Telegram, Kan., Brett Marshall column”, in McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Tribune Content Agency
defense2
present singular third person defenses · participle present defensing · participle past defensed · past defensed · alternative UK defence
- USarchaicTo furnish with defenses; to defend, protect.
The Country of Britain was in old times adorned with 28 Cities, beſide innumerable number of Caſtles defenſed with ſtrong Walls, Towers, Gates and Locks.
1661, Percie Enderbie, Cambria Triumphans, or Brittain in Its Perfect Lustre, Shewing the Origen and Antiquity of That Illustrious Nation. […], London: […] Andrew Crooke, […], page 212 more examples
In the ſyege of greate cities, takyng a bygge compaſſe rounde abowte, we muſt wyth all laboure: make and intercut not farre of the citie, bꝛode and depe trenches defenſed wyth turrettes of woodde, […]
1544, Iames the Erle of Purlilia [i.e., Jacopo di Porcia], translated by Peter Betham, “What is to be done in yͤ syege of bygge cities”, in The Preceptes of Warre, […], London: […] Edwarde Whytchurche. […] to be solde […] by William TelotsonVVhere being plaſt, vnvviſt of any vvight, / He ſtayde his time, till husband fel on ſleepe, / Then out he gate, defenſt vvith darke of night, / And ſoftly to Salueſtras bed did creepe: […]
1587, George Turberuile, “The Argument to the tenth Historie”, in Tragicall Tales […], London: […] Abell Ieffs, […], folio 130, verso
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States; created in 1947
noun(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
noun(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
noun(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
nounthe defendant and their legal advisors collectively
nounan organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack
nouna defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against them
nounthe act of defending someone or something against attack or injury
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
defense · noun, verb
- Late Latindēfēnsa“protection”
- Old Frenchdefens
- Middle Englishdefens
- Englishdefense
From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced native Old English bewering. The verb is from the noun.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →defense · verb
- Latindēfēnsō
- Old Frenchdefenser
- Middle Englishdefencen
- Englishdefense
From Middle English defencen, defensen, from Old French defenser or its etymon, Latin dēfēnsō.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans verdediging
- verdedigingaction of protecting from attack
Ancient Greek ἀπολογία
- ἀπολογία (apología)argument in support or justification of something
Arabic دِفَاع, حِمَايَة
- دِفَاع (difāʕ)action of protecting from attack
- حِمَايَة (ḥimāya)action of protecting from attack
- مُحَافَظَة (muḥāfaẓa)action of protecting from attack
- مُدَافَعَة (mudāfaʕa)action of protecting from attack
- دِفاع (difāʕ)team sports: portion of a team
- دِفاع (difāʕ)government policy or structure
Bengali রক্ষা, প্রতিরক্ষা
- রক্ষা (rokkha)action of protecting from attack
- প্রতিরক্ষা (protirokkha)action of protecting from attack
Bulgarian защи́та, отбра́на
- защи́та (zaštíta)action of protecting from attack
- отбра́на (otbrána)action of protecting from attack
- отбра́на (otbrána)anything employed to oppose attack
- отбрани́телни съоръже́ния (otbranítelni săorăžénija)anything employed to oppose attack
Catalan defensa, defensa
- defensaaction of protecting from attack
- defensaanything employed to oppose attack
- proteccióanything employed to oppose attack
Chinese Cantonese 防禦 /防御
- 防禦 /防御 (fong⁴ jyu⁶)action of protecting from attack
Chinese Mandarin 防禦 /防御, 防守
- 防禦 /防御 (fángyù)action of protecting from attack
- 防守 (fángshǒu)team sports: portion of a team
- 防禦物 /防御物 (fángyùwù)anything employed to oppose attack
Czech obrana, obrana
- obranaaction of protecting from attack
- obranateam sports: strategy and tactics
- obranateam sports: portion of a team
- obranagovernment policy or structure
- zákazprohibitory ordinance
- obranaanything employed to oppose attack
- obranaargument in support or justification of something
Danish forsvar, forsvar
- forsvaraction of protecting from attack
- forsvaranything employed to oppose attack
Dutch verdediging, weer
- verdedigingaction of protecting from attack
- weeraction of protecting from attack
- verdediginganything employed to oppose attack
- verweeranything employed to oppose attack
- verweerargument in support or justification of something
Esperanto defendo
- defendoaction of protecting from attack
Estonian kaitse
- kaitseaction of protecting from attack
Finnish puolustautuminen, puolustus
- puolustautuminenaction of protecting from attack
- puolustusaction of protecting from attack
- puolustusteam sports: strategy and tactics
- puolustusteam sports: portion of a team
- puolustusgovernment policy or structure
- maanpuolustusgovernment policy or structure
- kieltoprohibitory ordinance
- puolustusanything employed to oppose attack
- puolustusargument in support or justification of something
- puolusteluargument in support or justification of something
French défense, défense
- défenseaction of protecting from attack
- défenseanything employed to oppose attack
German Verteidigung, Wehr
- Verteidigungaction of protecting from attack
- Wehraction of protecting from attack
- Verteidigunganything employed to oppose attack
Greek άμυνα, άμυνα
- άμυνα (ámyna)action of protecting from attack
- άμυνα (ámyna)anything employed to oppose attack
Hebrew הֲגָנָה \ הֲגַנָּה, הגנה
- הֲגָנָה \ הֲגַנָּה (hagana)action of protecting from attack
- הגנה (hagana)anything employed to oppose attack
Hindi बचाव, रक्षा
- बचाव (bacāv)action of protecting from attack
- रक्षा (rakṣā)action of protecting from attack
Hungarian védelem, védekezés
- védelemaction of protecting from attack
- védekezésaction of protecting from attack
- védésaction of protecting from attack
- védelemteam sports: strategy and tactics
- védekezésteam sports: strategy and tactics
- védelemteam sports: portion of a team
- védelemanything employed to oppose attack
- védésargument in support or justification of something
- védekezésargument in support or justification of something
- védelemargument in support or justification of something
Icelandic vörn
- vörnaction of protecting from attack
Indonesian pertahanan
- pertahananaction of protecting from attack
Irish cosaint
- cosaintaction of protecting from attack
Italian difesa, difesa
- difesaaction of protecting from attack
- difesaanything employed to oppose attack
- difesaargument in support or justification of something
Japanese 防御, 防禦
- 防御 (bōgyo)action of protecting from attack
- 防禦 (bōgyo)action of protecting from attack
Korean 방어
- 방어 (bang'eo)action of protecting from attack
Latin dēfēnsiō, mūnīmen
- dēfēnsiōaction of protecting from attack
- mūnīmenanything employed to oppose attack
- mūnīmentumanything employed to oppose attack
- dēfēnsaanything employed to oppose attack
Latvian aizsardzība
- aizsardzībaaction of protecting from attack
Lithuanian gynyba
- gynybaaction of protecting from attack
Malay pertahanan
- pertahananaction of protecting from attack
Māori waonga, whakarurunga
- waongaaction of protecting from attack
- whakarurungaanything employed to oppose attack
Norwegian Bokmål forsvar
- forsvaraction of protecting from attack
Polish obrona, obrona
- obronaaction of protecting from attack
- obronaanything employed to oppose attack
- obronaargument in support or justification of something
Portuguese defesa, retranca
- defesaaction of protecting from attack
- retrancateam sports: strategy and tactics
- defesaanything employed to oppose attack
- escudoanything employed to oppose attack
- defesaargument in support or justification of something
Romanian apărare, apărare
- apărareaction of protecting from attack
- apărareteam sports: strategy and tactics
- apărareteam sports: portion of a team
- apăraregovernment policy or structure
- apărareanything employed to oppose attack
- apărareargument in support or justification of something
Russian оборо́на, защи́та
- оборо́на (oboróna)action of protecting from attack
- защи́та (zaščíta)action of protecting from attack
- оборо́на (oboróna)team sports: portion of a team
- оборо́на (oboróna)government policy or structure
- защи́та (zaščíta)anything employed to oppose attack
- оборо́на (oboróna)anything employed to oppose attack
- оборони́тельные сооруже́ния (oboronítelʹnyje sooružénija)anything employed to oppose attack
- защи́та (zaščíta)argument in support or justification of something
Slovak obrana
- obranaaction of protecting from attack
Spanish defensa, defensa
- defensaaction of protecting from attack
- defensaanything employed to oppose attack
- descargoargument in support or justification of something
Swedish försvar, värn
- försvaraction of protecting from attack
- värnaction of protecting from attack
- försvaranything employed to oppose attack
- värnanything employed to oppose attack
- försvarargument in support or justification of something
Tagalog depensa
- depensaaction of protecting from attack
Thai การป้องกัน
- การป้องกัน (gaan-bpɔ̂ng-gan)action of protecting from attack
Turkish savunma, koruma
- savunmaaction of protecting from attack
- korumaaction of protecting from attack
- sıyanetaction of protecting from attack
Ukrainian оборо́на, за́хист
- оборо́на (oboróna)action of protecting from attack
- за́хист (záxyst)action of protecting from attack
Urdu دِفاع, حِمایَت
- دِفاع (difā')action of protecting from attack
- حِمایَت (himāyat)action of protecting from attack
- رَکْشا (rakśā)action of protecting from attack
- مُدافَعَت (mudāfa'at)action of protecting from attack
- مُحافَظَت (muhāfazat)action of protecting from attack
- صَفائی (safāī)argument in support or justification of something
Vietnamese phòng thủ, phòng ngự
- phòng thủaction of protecting from attack
- phòng ngựaction of protecting from attack
- phòng vệaction of protecting from attack
- bảo vệaction of protecting from attack
- phòng thủteam sports: strategy and tactics
- phòng ngựteam sports: strategy and tactics
- phòng vệteam sports: strategy and tactics
- phòng thủteam sports: portion of a team
- phòng ngựteam sports: portion of a team
- phòng vệteam sports: portion of a team
- phòng thủanything employed to oppose attack
- phòng ngựanything employed to oppose attack
Yiddish פֿאַרטיידיקונג
- פֿאַרטיידיקונג (farteydikung)action of protecting from attack
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with defense
Cite this entry
defense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defense
“defense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defense. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defense,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defense.
Source: defense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.