Synonyms

protect

American

[pruh-tekt] / prəˈtɛkt /

verb (used with object)

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

Synonyms:

shelter, screen

Antonyms:

attack
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.

protect British

/ prəˈtɛkt /

verb

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)

"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

Synonym Usage

See defend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of protect

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 )

Explanation

Whether it’s your reputation or your jewelry, when you protect something you keep it safe from anything that might threaten or harm it. The word protect came into English by way of the Latin verb protegere, a combination of pro- meaning “in front,” and tegere, meaning “to cover.” When you protect something, in a way you’re covering it or shielding it from harm. Often the word is used in the sense of protecting something, like a valued item or a person, but you can also protect against something. For example, you might get a flu shot to protect against the flu virus.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

protect protects protected protecting

Boston bars are using extreme measures to spot fake IDs to protect their liquor licenses, which are capped at about 1,600 and can cost over $500,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

This should not be viewed as vindictive because “the government was seeking to protect the public and confirm its prior assertions about Abrego’s criminal activity,” prosecutors wrote.

From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026

It said officers worked around the clock to protect life and prevent further harm.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

In April, the Pentagon fired Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman, whose job was specifically intended to protect its editorial independence.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

The little gravel lot was too small to protect them.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Advocates of the system say it protects graduates from the extreme levels of debt seen among some U.S. students.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Even if your money is insured this way, it’s important to read the fine print: “FDIC pass-through insurance protects against the failure of a Program Bank, not the failure of PayPal,” the company’s website says.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

There are five immunizations required as a condition of entry into kindergarten in California: polio; DTaP, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; hepatitis B; MMR; and varicella, or chickenpox.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Scottish MP Graeme Downie said the UK should "manage the decline of the North Sea in a way that protects workers, supports communities and builds the industries that will power Britain's future".

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

But I cry now—for the first time in years—in the underground corridor of the Ghanaian underworld, all while the ancestral spirit of my grandmother protects me from a trickster god.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

The house was protected by temporary fencing on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

The mayor’s office said the plans would include protected bike lanes without the elimination of lanes and would “implement signal modifications to increase safety.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Fieldwork does produce new fossils, but important discoveries can also emerge from specimens that have already spent years stored, cataloged and protected in museums.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Elephants are protected by law, are named as India's "national heritage animal", and many followers of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh see the animals as sacred.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The Kozlov domovoi protected their home, and would destroy things only if he felt insulted somehow.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

The latest findings reveal a very different function for the same hormone: protecting the liver through a previously unknown anti-inflammatory pathway.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

The publicist said that he worked for McGraw for 10 years until March 2026, “advancing, protecting, publicizing, protecting, and supporting” McGraw and his enterprises.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Poland's military command said it had mobilised aircraft and activated air defences aimed at protecting its airspace, particularly in areas bordering Ukraine.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

In the end the crews had to give up and divert their attention to protecting neighbouring properties, Loxie said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Weather satellites allowed scientists to spot, monitor, and track hurricanes before they made landfall, saving lives and protecting property.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023