defend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from oragainst ).
The sentry defended the gate against sudden attack.
- Antonyms:
- attack
-
to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold.
She defended her claim successfully.
- Synonyms:
- vindicate
-
to contest (a legal charge, claim, etc.).
-
Law. to serve as attorney for (a defendant).
He has defended some of the most notorious criminals.
-
to support (an argument, theory, etc.) in the face of criticism; prove the validity of (a dissertation, thesis, or the like) by answering arguments and questions put by a committee of specialists.
-
Sports. to attempt to retain (a championship title, position, etc.), as in a competition against a challenger.
A fortuitous trade has landed him on the team defending the World Series championship.
verb (used without object)
-
Law. to enter or make a defense.
-
Sports. to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
She’s a freshman who already scores and defends like a professional.
verb
-
to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on
-
(tr) to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence
-
to represent (a defendant) in court in a civil or criminal action
-
sport to guard or protect (oneself, one's goal, etc) against attack
-
(tr) to protect (a championship or title) against a challenge
Synonym Usage
Defend, guard, preserve, protect all mean to keep safe. To defend is to strive to keep safe by resisting attack: to defend one's country. To guard is to watch over in order to keep safe: to guard a camp. To preserve is to keep safe in the midst of danger, either in a single instance or continuously: to preserve a spirit of conciliation. To protect is to keep safe by interposing a shield or barrier: to protect books by means of heavy paper covers.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
defendernoun
-
defendableadjective
-
undefendableadjective
-
undefendedadjective
-
well-defendedadjective
-
undefendablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
defendsimple
-
defendssimple
-
have defendedperfect
-
has defendedperfect
-
am defendingprogressive
-
are defendingprogressive
-
is defendingprogressive
-
have been defendingperfect progressive
-
has been defendingperfect progressive
Past
-
defendedsimple
-
had defendedperfect
-
was defendingprogressive
-
were defendingprogressive
-
had been defendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of defend
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English defenden, from Old French défendre, from Latin dēfendere “to ward off, repel,” from dē- de- + -fendere “to strike” ( see also bane ( def. ))
Explanation
Defend has different shades of meaning, but it always has the sense of protecting something — your ideas, for instance, or your title as world heavyweight champion. If you order the blood sausage and lamb when you're out to eat with your vegan friends, you may have to defend your eating habits, meaning speak up in support of your choices. Defend can also be something more concrete, like when you defend your property or your country. The lawyer who represents someone accused of a crime is there to defend the accused person — who is called the defendant — and to argue his case in court.
Vocabulary lists containing defend
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Veterans Day Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In the wide-ranging interview, the prime minister also spoke about how he would be prepared to call out Donald Trump to defend Britain's national interest.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I will continue to give my all every time I get to defend it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
"The young men bravely confronted them to defend their homes and lands, which was only natural given the frequency of these attacks," Saifi said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Now more than ever, those of us who have the privilege to speak out have a responsibility to defend the rights of everyone in our communities,” Walker said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Yes, but he’s a good boy!” says Mrs. Krajewska, with the exact same tone she used to defend me to Dr. Schillinger.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
Standing by his new jet as passengers stream on to it, bound for a summer break in Croatia, Kevin Doyle from EasyJet defends putting more planes into the sky.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
"We're always strong, we pool our strength and one defends the other," María Luísa explains as she sits on a sofa next to her sister.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Becket Fund defends religious liberty for people of disparate faiths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
"I am going to vote for whoever defends the peace process," he said ahead of the runoff.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
When Stephen’s mom tries to blame me again, my mom defends me.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Luke Littler defended his World Matchplay title in sensational style - and smashed Phil Taylor's tournament and final average records in the process.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Turner made her comments Wednesday in an X thread in which she defended the right of transgender women to participate in women’s sports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
But long-range drones are useful only if they can reliably reach their targets while flying through defended airspace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"I believe only civil society can influence these processes. While we are here defending rights, people went out and defended theirs," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Many of the isolated, heavily defended camps were on hilltops in remote locations near Vietnam’s western border with Cambodia and Laos where Special Forces could keep track of enemy movement.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
“That is a bad rap,” she said, defending the honor of her institution and her colleagues this week at a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judicial conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
For months, she has been defending Fire Point against allegations of corruption and accusations that have accompanied the company's meteoric rise.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Scottish athletics medal hopes include new mile world record holder Josh Kerr and defending 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan, while Glasgow 2026 chief executive Phil Batty said focus should be on younger athletes.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The defending champions of Korea’s league last year held spring training in Irvine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Perhaps because they had fallen into that angry silence, they walked quietly enough to come upon One Horn, the magnificent buck deer who had lost half of his antler rack defending his island territory.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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.
