self-defense
Americannoun
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the act of defending one's person when physically attacked, as by countering blows or overcoming an assailant.
the art of self-defense.
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a claim or plea that the use of force or injuring or killing another was necessary in defending one's own person from physical attack.
He shot the man who was trying to stab him and pleaded self-defense at the murder trial.
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an act or instance of defending or protecting one's own interests, property, ideas, etc., as by argument or strategy.
Other Word Forms
- self-defensive adjective
Etymology
Origin of self-defense
First recorded in 1645–55
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.
“Their claim was self-defense, sir / Just don’t believe your eyes,” Springsteen sings with his familiar rasp.
From Los Angeles Times
Federal officials have alleged it was an act of self-defense when Good drove her vehicle toward an officer — an assertion under dispute.
From Los Angeles Times
ICE claimed the agent acted in self-defense, but video footage and witness accounts quickly cast doubt on that narrative.
From Salon
He said the agent who shot her was acting in self-defense and has “absolute immunity” from prosecution.
He said the court had ruled law-abiding persons have a right to carry a firearm for self-defense when they leave home.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
