protection

American  

[pruh-tek-shuhn] / prəˈtɛk ʃən /

noun

• protections
  plural

1. the act of protecting or the state of being protected; preservation from injury or harm.

   Synonyms:

   safety, refuge, security

2. a thing, person, or group that protects.

   This vaccine is a protection against disease.

   Synonyms:

   bulwark, shield, defense, guard

3. patronage.

   Synonyms:

   sponsorship, aegis

4. Insurance. coverage.

5. Informal.

   1. money paid to racketeers for a guarantee against threatened violence.

   2. bribe money paid to the police, politicians, or other authorities for overlooking criminal activity.

6. Economics. protectionism.

7. a document that assures safety from harm, delay, or the like, for the person, persons, or property specified in it.

   Synonyms:

   permit, pass

8. Archaic. a document given by the U.S. customs authorities to a sailor traveling abroad certifying that the holder is a citizen of the U.S.

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protection British  

/ prəˈtɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act of protecting or the condition of being protected

2. something that protects

3. 1. the imposition of duties or quotas on imports, designed for the protection of domestic industries against overseas competition, expansion of domestic employment, etc

   2. Also called: protectionism. the system, policy, or theory of such restrictions Compare free trade

4. a document that grants protection or immunity from arrest or harassment to a person, esp a traveller

5. mountaineering security on a climb provided by running belays, etc

6. informal

   1. Also called: protection money. money demanded by gangsters for freedom from molestation

   2. freedom from molestation purchased in this way

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Synonym Usage

See cover.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprotection
  noun
• overprotection
  noun
• protectionism
  noun
• protectionist
  noun
• protectional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• protections
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of protection

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English proteccio(u)n, from Late Latin prōtēctiōn-, stem of prōtēctiō “shelter,” literally, “a covering in front”; equivalent to protect + -ion

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Explanation

Protection refers to keeping something or someone safe. Through protection, we shelter and defend things. Since protecting is to shelter from harm, protection is the act of doing so. Children are under the protection of their parents, who keep them safe. The Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the President. Many famous people hire bodyguards, who offer protection. A security guard offers protection to a bank or store. Also, a house gives you protection from the weather. Valuable things and vulnerable people need the most protection. Protection keeps things and people safe.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

protection protections

Bass has also used the Mayor’s Fund, a charity fund that the mayor can use to tackle issues around the city, to address homelessness and eviction protection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The protection may not be as useful for AI companies because they materially contribute to the content, according to a report by Moody’s Analytics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

In August, EchoStar’s Hughes Network Systems filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, shortly after its Dish Wireless and Dish DBS subsidiaries had done so.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

The league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States in September after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew its multibillion-dollar backing.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Without shelter, he would surely freeze, but protection from the terrible cold lay within the home of some frightful creature.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law strengthening California’s protections against civil arrests for people traveling to, attending or leaving courthouses for lawful purposes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Some 1.5 million households depend on heating oil, but they do not have the same consumer protections as electricity and gas customers.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

What protections do you have if something goes wrong?

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

Industry unions including SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild recently secured protections against technology in new contracts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

These sorts of modest protections and alarms have been adequate for settlements in the county these last few years.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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Related Words

• conservation
• insurance
• preservation
• safeguard
• safety
• security
• shelter
• stability

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