defend

[ dih-fend ]

/ dɪˈfɛnd /

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verb (used with object)

to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from or against): The sentry defended the gate against sudden attack.

to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold: She defended her claim successfully.

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.

to attempt to retain (a championship title, position, etc.), as in a competition against a challenger.

verb (used without object)

Law. to enter or make a defense.

RELATED WORDS

protector, supporter, sponsor, guardian

Nearby words

defederalize, defence, defence in depth, defence mechanism, defenceless, defend, defendant, defender, defender of the bond, defender of the faith, defenestrate

Origin of defend

1200–50; Middle English defenden < Old French defendre < Latin dēfendere to ward off, equivalent to dē- de- + -fendere to strike

SYNONYMS FOR defend

1 shelter, screen, shield; garrison, fortify.

2 vindicate.

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ANTONYMS FOR defend

1 attack.

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Related forms

de·fend·a·ble, adjectivede·fend·er, nounpre·de·fend, verb (used with object)un·de·fend·a·ble, adjective

un·de·fend·a·ble·ness, nounun·de·fend·a·bly, adverbun·de·fend·ed, adjectiveun·de·fend·ing, adjectivewell-de·fend·ed, adjective

Synonym study

1. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for defender

He could be remade into a defender of the environment, a preserver of habitats and champion of rainforest ecology.
Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World?|Ted Gioia|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, U.S. defender Matt Besler, who seemed a bit dinged up after that Portugal stunner, will be good to go.
USA vs. Germany World Cup Primer: Everything You Need to Know About the Epic Showdown|Marlow Stern|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When her opponents chose a blacksmith as their champion, she produced the same type of defender.
The ‘GOT’ Red Viper and Mountain Duel, and a History of Medieval Trial by Combat|Steven Isaac|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This time, he gallops onto the national stage as defender of the faith—a stance that may open some pocketbooks.
The Bill Nye-Ken Ham Debate Was a Nightmare for Science|Michael Schulson|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But, as Adam Kirsch writes, a new collection of essays shows how his political ideology changed him into a defender of oppression.
How Jean-Paul Sartre’s Existential Angst Got the Better of Him|Adam Kirsch|June 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Before the whaler got back, an enemy's cruiser came up and chased the Defender, which thus had to abandon its small boat.
America's War for Humanity|Thomas Herbert Russell
In this moment of trial and persecution we pray that Thou wouldst be our defender, our counsellor, and our guide.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII)|John Greenleaf Whittier
But it is not for the defender to adduce reasons; it is enough for him to answer those of his opponent.
Theodicy|G. W. Leibniz
Henceforth he finds himself transformed into the defender of the oppressed.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times|Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
My enemy left me to fly at my defender, whose name was Florence Hay.
The Fatal Glove|Clara Augusta Jones Trask

British Dictionary definitions for defender

defend

/ (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

Derived Formsdefendable, adjectivedefender, noun

Word Origin for defend

C13: from Old French defendre, from Latin dēfendere to ward off, from de- + -fendere to strike

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

Word Origin and History for defender (1 of 2)

defender

c.1300 (early 13c. as a surname), via Anglo-French, from Old French defendeor, agent noun from defendre (see defend). The Latin word in this sense was defensor.

Word Origin and History for defender (1 of 2)

defend

mid-13c., from Old French defendre (12c.) "defend, resist," and directly from Latin defendere "ward off, protect, guard, allege in defense," from de- "from, away" (see de-) + -fendere "to strike, push," from PIE root *gwhen- "to strike, kill" (see bane). In the Mercian hymns, Latin defendet is glossed by Old English gescildeð. Related: Defended; defending.

defend

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of defend

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for defender

British Dictionary definitions for defender

defend

verb

Word Origin for defend

Word Origin and History for defender (1 of 2)

defender

Word Origin and History for defender (1 of 2)

defend