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

He was the first fisherman to retrain as an environmental defender under a pioneering project to replenish the Caribbean coral ecosystem.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

The Dutch defender has also stressed the need for "a lot of work to be done behind the scenes" to avoid a repeat of their disappointing Premier League title defence.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Giuliani, a Republican, became a fierce defender of President Donald Trump, joining his personal legal team in Trump's first White House term.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

Sunderland defender Dan Ballard became the third player this season to be sent off for pulling an opponent's hair in Saturday's 1-1 draw at relegated Wolves.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Once you became an idea’s defender you had a harder time changing your mind about it.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• protector
• sponsor
• supporter