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Synonyms

defend

American

[dih-fend] / dɪˈfɛnd /

verb (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.

Synonyms:

fortify, garrison, shield, screen, shelter

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.

defend British

/ dɪˈfɛnd /

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

"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

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing defend

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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5

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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:

defend defends defended defending

The U.S. security agencies called on companies and the government to cooperate better to defend themselves against large-scale distillation, but didn’t discuss specific sanctions on China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

At the end of the conversation, Dave still might think he was right, but he’d still respect you even if he thought you were wrong — as long as you could defend that wrongness.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

Rybakina will become world number one for the first time if she wins her last-eight tie in New York - even if top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka goes on to defend her title.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Nabatieh Mayor Abbas Fakhreddine said "the Lebanese government must take action... and at the least defend its institutions", adding that it was the second time the official buildings had been damaged by strikes.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Honestly, it was almost worth it for Edie to call me a zombie freak just to see Fina defend me like that.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Hansi Flick wants a team that defends high and passionately so he can shine.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

The administration defends its dealmaking as an economic boon in the long term.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

He explains his interpretive method and defends it against a hostile biographer—and his high-school English teacher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

On March 11, Dr. Fauci describes a disagreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in which he defends Mr. Trump’s decision not to impose a travel ban on the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

In August, Vincent defends his art, his process, and takes Van Rappard to task for his judgmental nature.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

He defended the Smithsonian’s scholarly integrity and said he will continue to “protect the importance of doing nuanced, complicated history.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Even today I thought we defended very well.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

NBC defended Kristen Welker after Trump attacked her over accurate reporting on his primary endorsement record.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Wright on Wednesday defended NABEP's "highly successful track record of producing large volumes of oil in Venezuela," adding: "That's a business partner you can believe in."

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

This was a direct hit at Mother’s modern child-rearing methods, which she's defended on many occasions.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

PEN America said its longstanding policy on cultural and academic boycotts hasn’t changed, opposing boycotts institutionally while defending the rights of individuals to engage in them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Following a pregame ceremony that saw the Seahawks raise their Super Bowl banner at Lumen Field, the game quickly looked like a disaster for the defending champs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

The office of the state attorney general is responsible for defending death penalty convictions on appeal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

“His legacy is his children,” she continued, while calling out Wilson’s own hypocrisy for defending Erika Kirk despite long arguing that a woman belongs in the home, not the office.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

“Well, we’re not the dress-up types,” I said, picking up another sugary petit four and biting into it to stop myself from defending Mamá’s honor to the point of being rude to our hostess.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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