Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for self-protection. Search instead for Order+of+Protection.

self-protection

American  
[self-pruh-tek-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf prəˈtɛk ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

  1. protection of oneself or itself.


self-protection British  

noun

  1. the act or an instance of protecting or defending oneself

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of self-protection

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

Within industries, as a supply-chain crisis unfolds, fear and self-protection instincts kick in, with hoarding and company-level stockpiling resulting in confusing demand signals that make it hard for upstream producers to respond.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

When the 43-year-old got out of her car in the garage one morning in December after dropping her children off at school, she was even carrying a gun for self-protection.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

“Some relatively minor mods to MQ-9s for self-protection would make them even more effective in this threat environment,” Lee said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Women will often align themselves with the dominant person in a room as a form of self-protection, she explained.

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2025

Kate had laughed too—the quickest and best self-protection.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "self-protection" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com