defend
Americanverb (used with object)
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defends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
defended,
past participle, past
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defending
present participle
-
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
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to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold.
She defended her claim successfully.
- Synonyms:
- vindicate
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to contest (a legal charge, claim, etc.).
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Law. to serve as attorney for (a defendant).
He has defended some of the most notorious criminals.
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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.
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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)
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defends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
defended,
past participle, past
-
defending
present participle
-
Law. to enter or make a defense.
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Sports. to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
She’s a freshman who already scores and defends like a professional.
verb
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to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on
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(tr) to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence
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to represent (a defendant) in court in a civil or criminal action
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sport to guard or protect (oneself, one's goal, etc) against attack
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(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
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defendernoun
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defendableadjective
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undefendableadjective
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undefendedadjective
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well-defendedadjective
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undefendablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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defendsimple
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defendssimple
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have defendedperfect
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has defendedperfect
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am defendingprogressive
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are defendingprogressive
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is defendingprogressive
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have been defendingperfect progressive
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has been defendingperfect progressive
Past
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defendedsimple
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had defendedperfect
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was defendingprogressive
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were defendingprogressive
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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
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Veterans Day Vocabulary
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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:
Hasan said he was trying to defend fellow Muslims who he believed had been unfairly targeted by U.S. forces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
"The cyber defence capabilities will enable enterprises and governments to defend themselves against threat actors that are jailbreaking closed models to perform cyberattacks," Mistral's Chief Scientist Guillaume Lample said in the statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Criminal lawyers have welcomed the decision and the Conservatives say it is a "major victory" for those who fought to defend trial by jury.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
This week, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said his country was “bound” by the pact to defend Saudi Arabia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
It has been a few hours now since President Abraham Lincoln swore to “preserve, protect, and defend the United States Constitution.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Justice Alito defends the chief from that criticism by reflecting on the ways in which both judging and umpiring require experience, study and perspicacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The most recent tally from NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners, said there were 344 such prisoners in the country as of September 18.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Housing costs are climbing, but James T. Butts Jr. defends the growth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
He defends with maturity and intelligence, and his technical level means he can support the team higher up the pitch.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
He calls me daughter, and defends me, and says he’s proud of me, and calls me pretty and smart—all the things I always wanted to hear from my own father.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
Jigsaw Productions, Gibney’s production company, defended the film as a fact-based examination of a powerful public figure protected by the 1st Amendment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The former leader of Manchester City Council has defended the council's relationship with the owners of Manchester City amid questions over land deals.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Sanchez, in office since 2018, defended his record, saying Spain's economy had grown faster than many European countries and unemployment had fallen.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Manchester City Council also defended the benefits of the partnership with Manchester Life as a "platform for future development".
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
In a heated discussion with King, Carmichael defended the phrase.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
“There is a certain pride in being a Californian, certainly not held by everybody ... but i would think that the mainstream would be defending the state.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Then your opponent has to spend a lot of money defending himself.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Both sides are attacking and defending communication signals on an unprecedented scale, innovating at pace, while the U.S. and other Western countries are working to catch up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Yet it should be a troubling one for the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The Campbell boy didn’t like me on account of the fact I didn’t treat John regular—orphan defending orphan, I guess.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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.
