defense

de-fense · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    The action of protecting from or resisting attack.

  2. 2.

    Military resources and activities for protecting a country.

  3. 3.

    Arguments or evidence presented to support someone accused of a crime.

  4. 4.

    The team or players who try to prevent the opposing team from scoring (sports).

  5. 5.

    A mechanism by which the mind protects itself from anxiety.

Forms

plural: defenses

Related words

Antonyms: attack, offense
See also: attack, defend, protection
Synonyms: guard, protection, safeguard, shield

Etymology

From Old French defense, from Latin defensum, past participle of defendere meaning "to ward off, protect." The American spelling defense and British spelling defence both derive from the same source.