protect
verb (used with object)
to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
protected
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past participleof protect.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof protect.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
protectverb (used with object)to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
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.
Never mind that the peninsula is currently an ecologically protected area known as the Vjosa Narta, including a river delta and lagoon that is home to hundreds of species of birds, including flamingos.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
"The hope is that at home, in terms of health, they can be protected... because they are inside the house. They don't have to go through roads full of dust and smoke," she said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
NRW said it has not received an application for a protected species development licence at this stage, but Hammond confirmed plans to go through the process.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
This behavior arises from the topology of their electronic bands, which describes broad features of the quantum structure of electronic states that are protected by crystal symmetries.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
Maybe that was something else they’d always protected him from.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
