protection

[pruh-tek-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of protecting or the state of being protected; preservation from injury or harm.

   Synonyms: safety, refuge, security

2. a thing, person, or group that protects.

   This vaccine is a protection against disease.

   Synonyms: bulwark, shield, defense, guard

3. patronage.

   Synonyms: sponsorship, aegis

4. Insurance.,  coverage.

5. Informal.

   1. money paid to racketeers for a guarantee against threatened violence.

   2. bribe money paid to the police, politicians, or other authorities for overlooking criminal activity.

6. Economics.,  protectionism.

7. a document that assures safety from harm, delay, or the like, for the person, persons, or property specified in it.

   Synonyms: permit, pass

8. Archaic.,  a document given by the U.S. customs authorities to a sailor traveling abroad certifying that the holder is a citizen of the U.S.

protection

/ prəˈtɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act of protecting or the condition of being protected

2. something that protects

3. 1. the imposition of duties or quotas on imports, designed for the protection of domestic industries against overseas competition, expansion of domestic employment, etc

   2. Also called: protectionism. the system, policy, or theory of such restrictions Compare free trade

4. a document that grants protection or immunity from arrest or harassment to a person, esp a traveller

5. mountaineering security on a climb provided by running belays, etc

6. informal

   1. Also called: protection money. money demanded by gangsters for freedom from molestation

   2. freedom from molestation purchased in this way

Other Word Forms

• protectionist noun
• protectionism noun
• protectional adjective
• nonprotection noun
• overprotection noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of protection¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English proteccio(u)n, from Late Latin prōtēctiōn-, stem of prōtēctiō “shelter,” literally, “a covering in front”; equivalent to protect + -ion

Synonym Study

See cover.

Example Sentences

"I suffered a lot in my country. I had no protection and the authorities there didn't care," she tells BBC News Mundo.

Read more on BBC

The footage, which AFP could not independently verify, showed civil protection officers and worried parents rushing to assist the students.

Read more on Barron's

This 100-plus-page resource shares important updates for 2026 plans, as well as detailed information about various types of plans and individuals’ rights and protections within the program.

Read more on MarketWatch

Amazon agreed to settle the case—just days into a civil trial—without admitting or denying the FTC’s allegations that it misled customers in violation of federal consumer protection laws.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Austria's data protection authority has determined that Microsoft "illegally" tracked students using its education software and must grant them access to their data, a privacy campaign group said Friday.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• conservation 
• insurance 
• preservation 
• safeguard 
• safety 
• security 
• shelter 
• stability