defend

American  

[dih-fend] / dɪˈfɛnd /

verb (used with object)

1. 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

2. to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold.

   She defended her claim successfully.

   Synonyms:

   vindicate

3. to contest (a legal charge, claim, etc.).

4. Law. to serve as attorney for (a defendant).

   He has defended some of the most notorious criminals.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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verb (used without object)

1. Law. to enter or make a defense.

2. Sports. to prevent the opposing team from scoring.

   She’s a freshman who already scores and defends like a professional.

defend British  

/ dɪˈfɛnd /

verb

1. to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on

2. (tr) to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence

3. to represent (a defendant) in court in a civil or criminal action

4. sport to guard or protect (oneself, one's goal, etc) against attack

5. (tr) to protect (a championship or title) against a challenge

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Related Words

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

• defendable
  adjective
• defender
  noun
• undefendable
  adjective
• undefendably
  adverb
• undefended
  adjective
• well-defended
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

When told he was the first Regent to win the City championship he vowed to be back next season to defend it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

He does not need me to defend his honor or his single status, but while I may as well play devil’s advocate.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

U.S. officials stressed their policy toward Taiwan—one of “strategic ambiguity,” a longstanding stance that leaves unclear whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan militarily if China attempted to seize it—was unchanged.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

"He wanted to defend the innocent so he decided to become a security guard," Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, told the AP.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

But he had not counted on the fervor of the French troops—on their determination to defend their home soil—and French soldiers inflicted as many losses on the Germans as the French themselves suffered.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• contend
• fight
• fight for
• guard
• hold
• maintain
• oppose
• preserve
• prevent
• resist
• safeguard
• secure
• shield
• uphold