protect

[pruh-tekt]

verb (used with object)

1. to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.

   Synonyms: shelter, screen
   Antonyms: attack

2. Economics.,  to guard (the industry or an industry of a nation) from foreign competition by imposing import duties.

3. to provide funds for the payment of (a draft, note, etc.).

verb (used without object)

1. to provide, or be capable of providing, protection.

   a floor wax that protects as well as shines.

protect

/ prəˈtɛkt /

verb

1. to defend from trouble, harm, attack, etc

2. economics to assist (domestic industries) by the imposition of protective tariffs on imports

3. commerce to provide funds in advance to guarantee payment of (a note, draft, etc)

Other Word Forms

• protectible adjective
• protectable adjective
• protectibility noun
• protectability noun
• overprotect verb (used with object)
• quasi-protected adjective
• semiprotected adjective
• unprotectable adjective
• unprotected adjective
• well-protected adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of protect¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin prōtēctus “covered in front,” past participle of prōtegere “to cover in front,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + tegere “to cover” (akin to toga, thatch )

Word History and Origins

Origin of protect¹

C16: from Latin prōtegere to cover before, from _pro- ¹ + tegere to cover

Synonym Study

See defend.

Example Sentences

It honors their enthusiasm, protects your kitchen equilibrium, and keeps the day humming along with the kind of gentle, slightly cinematic glow that makes Thanksgiving feel like Thanksgiving.

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"Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety - and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people," Tinubu said.

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"We have to be united and determined to protect ourselves," Macron said at the time.

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“This language merely clarifies the original intent of the 2018 farm bill, rooting out the bad actors and protecting the growing hemp industry.”

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For a few years, Keyssar notes, the federal government was actively intervening to protect the rights of Black voters in the former Confederate states against entities such as the Ku Klux Klan.

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Related Words

• assure 
• care for www.thesaurus.com
• conserve 
• cover 
• cushion 
• defend 
• insulate 
• keep 
• look after 
• preserve 
• safeguard 
• save 
• secure 
• shelter 
• shield 
• support