protect
[pruh-tekt]
- to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
- Economics. to guard (the industry or an industry of a nation) from foreign competition by imposing import duties.
- to provide funds for the payment of (a draft, note, etc.).
Show More
- to provide, or be capable of providing, protection: a floor wax that protects as well as shines.
Show More
Origin of protect
Synonyms
See more synonyms for protect on Thesaurus.com1. screen, shelter.
Synonym study
1. See defend.
Antonyms
1. attack.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for protect
Contemporary Examples
When our elected representatives assume their respective offices, they take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.”
Luckily, Tor was prepared for this sort of assault, and has built-in defenses to protect against it.
Such large sheets are common in Kobani, meant to protect fighters and civilians from the ever gazing eyes of ISIS snipers.
Sometimes politicians oppose reform for nefarious reasons—to protect a special interest or a major donor, for example.
The NRA wants the ability to sue local officials for passing laws that protect public safety.
Historical Examples
On his death-bed he charged his nephew to protect and cherish me as a sister.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
They were putting on outer clothes from the store-room to protect them from the dirt and damp.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
Could he be asked to shield and protect her, or what would become of her?
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
We must protect her from the consequences of her own foolishness.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton CampusJessie Graham Flower
I prayed for forgiveness, and asked God to direct and protect me.
Biography of a SlaveCharles Thompson
protect
- to defend from trouble, harm, attack, etc
- economics to assist (domestic industries) by the imposition of protective tariffs on imports
- commerce to provide funds in advance to guarantee payment of (a note, draft, etc)
Show More
Word Origin
C16: from Latin prōtegere to cover before, from pro- 1 + tegere to cover
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 protect
v.
mid-15c., from Latin protectus, past participle of protegere "to protect, cover in front" (see protection). International economics sense from 1789. Related: Protected; protecting.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper