defensiveness

American  

[dih-fen-siv-nis] / dɪˈfɛn sɪv nɪs /

noun

1. excessive concern with guarding against the real or imagined threat of criticism, injury to one’s ego, exposure of one’s shortcomings, etc..

   Employee defensiveness may be reduced by moving the focus of the conversation from the person to the behaviors.

2. the condition of being abnormally sensitive to certain stimuli, leading to avoidance or overreaction.

   Sensory defensiveness often takes the form of increased negative reactivity to noises from fans, clocks, car doors, etc.

3. the state or condition of being prepared to defend against attack from an enemy.

   A military adviser’s job involves improving a nation's army and overall defensiveness against foreign attackers.

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Other Word Forms

• nondefensiveness noun
• overdefensiveness noun
• semidefensiveness noun
• undefensiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of defensiveness

First recorded in 1595–1605; defensive ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

That mix of AI exposure and defensiveness might be appealing to a number of investors.

From Barron's

Humorous responses to rage bait, which depends on eliciting defensiveness that can be fed back into the outrage machine, robs it of oxygen.

From Salon

Similarly, Klayman’s research shows that backward-looking criticism can often trigger defensiveness, which interferes with the desire to improve, as opposed to focusing on plans for improvement.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the “debasement trade” and investor defensiveness helped push the metals rally, Razaqzada pointed out that several factors eased that defensiveness this week.

From MarketWatch

Orange County’s new sophistication ought to be above rivalry, but a touch of parochial defensiveness remains.

From Los Angeles Times