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
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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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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
-
(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
-
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
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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:
Watch: 'You have to defend your own national interest before anything else'
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 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
Following the publishing of Chey’s letter, Roh had told friends she would defend her household, keep the family together and resist granting a divorce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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
I wince, but it’s hard for me to defend myself against his accurate accusation.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
"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
“He defends well,” said Eubanks, a 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The Becket Fund defends religious liberty for people of disparate faiths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
They are only playing for pride now, but I don't think that will change their identity as a team which usually defends deep.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
“When he defends his title in 1975,” Rader added, “he’ll be much better able to capitalize financially.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
It now dumps Mr. Khan, once he can no longer be defended with a straight face, but otherwise carries on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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
Hartig defended that drive to put moments in context because it’s what gets her up in the morning.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 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
She had defended Mayor at first, reminding me that Quisqueya was a gossip and assuring me that Mayor never caused any trouble.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
By contrast, Sherrock dropped only one leg en route to the trophy match and took out defending champion Lisa Ashton in the semi-final, winning 5-1.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Carson, the defending City Section Open Division champion, will have five mandatory days of acclimation, then hold an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 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
The PCA report challenges such historical judgments by defending revisions to the Westminster Confession.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
For six months, the 586th Regiment had been defending strategic positions in their dangerous solo Yak fighters and the 588th Regiment had been harassing German troops with bombs dropped from their flimsy Po-2s.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
