defender
Americannoun
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defenders
plural
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a person who defends someone or something from attack, assault, or injury.
We commemorate the brave defenders of this fort.
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Law. an attorney for a defendant, especially a public defender.
the systemwide benefits of effective defenders.
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a person who supports an argument, theory, thesis, etc., in the face of criticism or challenging questions.
defenders of gay rights.
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Sports.
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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.
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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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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of defender
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; defend ( def. ) + -er 2 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing defender
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:
It is still very early days, of course, but Newcastle appear to have reinvested the money wisely after spending a similar combined amount on midfielder Nico Gonzalez, defender Amar Dedic and goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
They completed a deal to sign Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea on Wednesday but want to add another central defender to the squad.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
They were also involved in a deal widely described as a "PSR swap", which saw defender Ian Maatsen join Villa and Omari Kellyman, who is now at Strasbourg, move to Chelsea.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Forest have already signed defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting for £34m, alongside free agents, Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager and goalkeeper Steve Benda.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The boys were quickly drawn into the action—cheering at each shot and steal, laughing and trading high fives when one of the girls dribbled around a defender, leaving her competitor in the dust.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
"Savio is a player who brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions. He has the courage to attack defenders and the ability to change a game with his creativity," said De Zerbi.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
From public defenders to college professors to public school teachers, people who were fired for social media comments about Kirk have received more than $5 million so far, paid for by taxpayers.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Although Hampton, a certified starter, only played in the Chargers’ opening series in Thursday’s preseason loss to San Francisco, he made waves in the two teams’ joint practice on Tuesday by bulldozing several 49ers defenders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
If getting through the middle of the pitch is proving difficult, one of the midfielders will drop deep, forming a line of three alongside the two central defenders.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
The team’s best defenders hadn’t returned this season, so Luma had to find replacements from the pool of boys who turned up for tryouts.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
