defender

American  

[dih-fen-der] / dɪˈfɛn dər /

noun

1. a person who defends someone or something from attack, assault, or injury.

   We commemorate the brave defenders of this fort.

2. Law. an attorney for a defendant, especially a public defender.

   the systemwide benefits of effective defenders.

3. a person who supports an argument, theory, thesis, etc., in the face of criticism or challenging questions.

   defenders of gay rights.

4. Sports.

   1. a team player whose assigned role is to prevent the other team from scoring.

      On the court, he’s an exceptional defender and a natural leader.

   2. a contestant or team that attempts to retain a championship title, rank, etc., in a competition against a challenger.

      Her main rival is the young title defender from Italy.

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Etymology

Origin of defender

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; defend ( def. ) + -er ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

"I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today," defender Robertson said after Scotland secured World Cup qualification in November.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

So consider the case of Ryerson, a defender who turned pro 11 years ago and was beginning to wonder if he’d ever get to his sport’s biggest stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Over the first two games of the NBA Finals, the Knicks have managed to counteract Victor Wembanyama, the league’s best defender.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

By contrast, Tim Payne, a defender picked for New Zealand, was recently nicknamed the tournament's "least-known" footballer, with fewer than 5,000 followers.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Sohrab was our nominal forward, which left me de facto defender, but really, both of us played all over the field.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Related Words

• protector
• sponsor
• supporter