protection

American  

[pruh-tek-shuhn] / prəˈtɛk ʃən /

noun

• protections
  plural

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.

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protection British  

/ 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

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Synonym Usage

See cover.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• protections
  plural

Etymology

Origin of protection

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

Explanation

Protection refers to keeping something or someone safe. Through protection, we shelter and defend things. Since protecting is to shelter from harm, protection is the act of doing so. Children are under the protection of their parents, who keep them safe. The Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the President. Many famous people hire bodyguards, who offer protection. A security guard offers protection to a bank or store. Also, a house gives you protection from the weather. Valuable things and vulnerable people need the most protection. Protection keeps things and people safe.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

protection protections

And he noted the EU has other laws to counter risks, including on cybersecurity and data protection.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

“Missouri has some of the worst protection for renters anywhere in the country,” Duncan told MarketWatch, and it impacts anyone whose earnings are not keeping up with the cost of living.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

But today's decisions are "a response to child protection", she says, with the Family Court considering all the options for each child.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Australia is investigating how and where the firm behind an app used in popular low-cost smart glasses collects and stores personal data, the country's data protection watchdog said Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

The young bounced around the adults, ambushing one another, rolling in mock battle, and shrieking for protection when an older animal lost patience and bared its teeth.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

As a city councilmember, Raj hopes to increase housing supply, particularly the supply of units that are big enough for families, and expand tenant protections like rent stabilization.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Raj, 32, hopes to restore some longstanding tenant protections that the city council recently weakened.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

It includes protections for the editorial independence of CBS and CNN, money allocated for entertainment worker benefits and a commitment to negotiate distribution deals for the two companies’ basic cable channels separately.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

While acknowledging most UK airlines already offer protections against hidden costs, the government said its proposed reforms would provide greater consistency across all airlines operating in the country.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

People who were enslaved had no legal protections.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

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