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Synonyms

protect

American

[pruh-tekt] / prəˈtɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.

Synonyms:

shelter, screen

Antonyms:

attack
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)

to provide, or be capable of providing, protection.

a floor wax that protects as well as shines.

protect British

/ prəˈtɛkt /

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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See defend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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 )

Explanation

Whether it’s your reputation or your jewelry, when you protect something you keep it safe from anything that might threaten or harm it. The word protect came into English by way of the Latin verb protegere, a combination of pro- meaning “in front,” and tegere, meaning “to cover.” When you protect something, in a way you’re covering it or shielding it from harm. Often the word is used in the sense of protecting something, like a valued item or a person, but you can also protect against something. For example, you might get a flu shot to protect against the flu virus.

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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:

protect protects protected protecting

But it can insist on transparency where legally possible, investigate the history of the allegations and examine whether officials are adhering to the standards that protect prosecutorial independence.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

The protected area Kunagado and his friends have cultivated is bursting with corals and is now home to hundreds of heat-resistant "super corals" that may protect the village from the impacts of rising sea temperatures.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Neither tenure nor academic freedom protect professors who regularly violate their institution’s policies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

It is people like her the Australian government says it is trying to protect with a new suite of laws cracking down on big tech, which were introduced to parliament this week.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

“Do you see it now, Lexie? Because you can’t protect yourself from something you can’t see.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

"Copyright protects creative work from being copied. It does not protect a brand from being laughed at, even by people who like it a bit too much," the letter read.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Gov. Kathy Hochul is demanding that legislators make changes to a law critics say protects abusers if a victim knowingly drank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

"It protects the institution and then exposes the whistleblower to extreme retaliation and devastation to their lives and families," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Rather than focusing only on killing cancer cells directly, researchers could try to reprogram the surrounding tissue that supports and protects the tumor.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

I go to the lean-to that protects our firewood from rain and snow, and stack the heavy pieces of wood in my arms.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Joseva Kunagado, 21, leads the youth of Naidiri Village in preserving the health of their protected area.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Skates said he wanted to know from the Welsh government what the status was now of the protected route for the relief road - which was ditched after the scheme was axed.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

I would prefer that those funds be protected to the extent legally possible, rather than potentially becoming part of a marital property dispute.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Cadets need protected training time, access to training areas and instructors capable of developing future officers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

It is protected by a flexible backbone of separate vertebrae.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

They will also be held directly responsible for protecting under-18s from pornography, online bullying, content that glorifies crime, and content that encourages eating disorders.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

"I am grateful to them for believing in this idea and for protecting this building and two centuries' worth of stories for people to enjoy forever."

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Financial institutions are on the front lines of protecting our economic and national security,” Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

“I’ve got to make sure I’m protecting my export markets,” said U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

“More important, I’m a citizen of this planet who is committed to protecting the environment that all of us share.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023