defensive

[dih-fen-siv]

adjective

1. serving to defend; protective.

   defensive armament.

2. made or carried on for the purpose of resisting attack.

   defensive treaty;

   a defensive attitude.

3. of or relating to defense.

4. (of stocks, securities, etc.)

   1. able to provide moderately steady growth with minimal risk.

      The bank has put a large percentage of its assets in defensive rather than growth stocks.

   2. considered stable and relatively safe for investment, especially during a decline in the economy.

5. excessively concerned with guarding against the real or imagined threat of criticism, injury to one's ego, or exposure of one's shortcomings.

noun

1. a position or attitude of defense.

   to be on the defensive about one's mistakes.

2. Obsolete.,  something that serves to defend.

defensive

/ dɪˈfɛnsɪv /

adjective

1. intended, suitable, or done for defence, as opposed to offence

2. rejecting criticisms of oneself or covering up one's failings

noun

1. a position of defence

2. in an attitude or position of defence, as in being ready to reject criticism

Other Word Forms

• defensiveness noun
• defensively adverb
• nondefensive adjective
• nondefensively adverb
• overdefensive adjective
• overdefensively adverb
• semidefensive adjective
• semidefensively adverb
• undefensive adjective
• undefensively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of defensive¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin dēfēnsīvus ( defense, -ive ); replacing Middle English defensif, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin, as above

Idioms and Phrases

see on the defensive.

Example Sentences

This will be the first extended trip that will end in London for defensive lineman Kobie Turner and other young players.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In fact, a defensive miscue might even have turned the tide for the entire series.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“He was begging to be able to do something on the offensive side,” Skipper said of the redshirt junior, who has vacillated between the offensive and defensive lines during his seven seasons with the team.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Detroit defensive back Brian Branch thought he had been blocked in the back illegally without the officials calling a penalty during the Lions’ 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

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Beyond the industrial end market, which has remained the company’s strongest, UBS sees “improving demand signals for nearly all end markets,” indicating that “things have been steadily improving following tariff uncertainty and defensive pull-ins.”

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• opposing