Synonyms

protect

American

[pruh-tekt] / prəˈtɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.

Synonyms:

shelter, screen

Antonyms:

attack
Economics. to guard (the industry or an industry of a nation) from foreign competition by imposing import duties.
to provide funds for the payment of (a draft, note, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to provide, or be capable of providing, protection.

a floor wax that protects as well as shines.

protect British

/ prəˈtɛkt /

verb

to defend from trouble, harm, attack, etc
economics to assist (domestic industries) by the imposition of protective tariffs on imports
commerce to provide funds in advance to guarantee payment of (a note, draft, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See defend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of protect

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin prōtēctus “covered in front,” past participle of prōtegere “to cover in front,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + tegere “to cover” (akin to toga, thatch )

Explanation

Whether it’s your reputation or your jewelry, when you protect something you keep it safe from anything that might threaten or harm it. The word protect came into English by way of the Latin verb protegere, a combination of pro- meaning “in front,” and tegere, meaning “to cover.” When you protect something, in a way you’re covering it or shielding it from harm. Often the word is used in the sense of protecting something, like a valued item or a person, but you can also protect against something. For example, you might get a flu shot to protect against the flu virus.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

protect protects protected protecting

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the incident was "deeply concerning" and the government would "always take every step necessary" to protect people.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Moscow has mandated that businesses take steps to protect themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Oracle’s move to protect itself against delays at its New Mexico data center adds uncertainty for bondholders, though its spending commitments remain in place.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

"In order to understand how marine invertebrates are being impacted by things like climate change and how we can better protect these key elements of the ecosystem, we have to be able to identify them."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

Even sheep and goats have barns to sleep in to protect them from the cold and the wolves.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects the freedom of the press.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

The same mechanism that protects healthy cells could also have a less helpful consequence.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects speech and press freedoms.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

With the U.S. dollar, what protects its value is the restraint of the government officials who manage it.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

I’ve seen how he sings to her and protects her.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Those measures include "protecting and rewetting peatlands, addressing drainage and deforestation, and ensuring burned forests are protected from subsequent conversion and appropriately restored," Ronna said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

She is firmly of the view that he deserves to be protected, not prosecuted.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Long Beach is not yet Amsterdam; it’s still a patchwork of protected lanes and unprotected ones of varying degrees of newness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

“That moat protected them against a lot of bad stuff,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

I also learned that while my brain is protected by my skull, your brain is protected by something called a warm electronics box.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

“I don’t think innovation and protecting artists have to be opposing ideas.”

From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026

Those measures include "protecting and rewetting peatlands, addressing drainage and deforestation, and ensuring burned forests are protected from subsequent conversion and appropriately restored," Ronna said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

“You end up making subconscious adjustments where you’re protecting yourself,” Friedman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

The European Commission denied targeting any specific nationality, stating it is simply protecting its digital and democratic standards to maintain its role as a global benchmark.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

“His aura is a reddish orange—protective. I think he’s been protecting Quinton all this time.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023