protect
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
- Antonyms:
- attack
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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)
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)
Related Words
See defend.
Other Word Forms
- overprotect verb (used with object)
- protectability noun
- protectable adjective
- protectibility noun
- protectible adjective
- quasi-protected adjective
- semiprotected adjective
- unprotectable adjective
- unprotected adjective
- well-protected adjective
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 )
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.
Tian sees gold as the best way to protect her wealth, despite the recent volatility.
She posted a video of herself doing squats with heavy weight and lunging on the knee, protected by a brace.
He added that because the Games were spread across multiple sites, billions had been spent on roads instead of protecting the mountains.
From BBC
In a key experiment, gut bacteria from the protected offspring were transferred to other mice that had not received indole.
From Science Daily
Should conservation efforts focus on protecting one iconic species if that protection may harm another, especially in landscapes still recovering from human activity?
From Science Daily
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.
