protect

[ pruh-tekt ]

/ prəˈtɛkt /

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verb (used with object)

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.).

verb (used without object)

to provide, or be capable of providing, protection: a floor wax that protects as well as shines.

Nearby words

Origin of protect

1520–30; < Latin prōtēctus, past participle of prōtegere to cover in front, equivalent to prō- pro-¹ + teg-, stem of tegere to cover (akin to toga, thatch) + -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR protect

1. screen, shelter.

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ANTONYMS FOR protect

1. attack.

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Related forms

pro·tect·i·ble, pro·tect·a·ble, adjectivepro·tect·i·bil·i·ty, pro·tect·a·bil·i·ty, nouno·ver·pro·tect, verb (used with object)qua·si-pro·tect·ed, adjective

sem·i·pro·tect·ed, adjectiveun·pro·tect·a·ble, adjectiveun·pro·tect·ed, adjectivewell-pro·tect·ed, adjective

Synonym study

1. See defend.

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

Examples from the Web for protect

When our elected representatives assume their respective offices, they take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.”
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Luckily, Tor was prepared for this sort of assault, and has built-in defenses to protect against it.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such large sheets are common in Kobani, meant to protect fighters and civilians from the ever gazing eyes of ISIS snipers.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS|Mohammed A. Salih|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes politicians oppose reform for nefarious reasons—to protect a special interest or a major donor, for example.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The NRA wants the ability to sue local officials for passing laws that protect public safety.
The NRA’s Twisted List for Santa|John Feinblatt|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Rebel soldier had stolen his coat, and he had no blanket to protect him from the cold night-winds.
Winning His Way|Charles Carleton Coffin
I can take care of you and protect you, and I will devote my life to your happiness.
A Modern Chronicle, Complete|Winston Churchill
To protect his own interests Prescott decided to make an abridgment of his own, and thus to forestall the pirate.
William Hickling Prescott|Harry Thurston Peck
They'd locate a shallow rill; then they'd build an airlock to protect them against chance meteorites.
First on the Moon|Jeff Sutton
As he raised his big arms to protect his head, his antagonist twisted free.
El Diablo|Brayton Norton

British Dictionary definitions for protect

protect

/ (prəˈtɛkt) /

verb (tr)

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)

Word Origin for protect

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

protect

mid-15c., from Latin protectus, past participle of protegere "to protect, cover in front" (see protection). International economics sense from 1789. Related: Protected; protecting.