defend

American  

[dih-fend] / dɪˈfɛnd /

verb (used with object)

• defends,
  present (3rd person singular)
• defended,
  past participle,  past
• defending
  present participle

1. to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from oragainst ).

   The sentry defended the gate against sudden attack.

   Synonyms:

   fortify, garrison, shield, screen, shelter

   Antonyms:

   attack

2. to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold.

   She defended her claim successfully.

   Synonyms:

   vindicate

3. to contest (a legal charge, claim, etc.).

4. Law. to serve as attorney for (a defendant).

   He has defended some of the most notorious criminals.

5. to support (an argument, theory, etc.) in the face of criticism; prove the validity of (a dissertation, thesis, or the like) by answering arguments and questions put by a committee of specialists.

6. Sports. to attempt to retain (a championship title, position, etc.), as in a competition against a challenger.

   A fortuitous trade has landed him on the team defending the World Series championship.

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verb (used without object)

• defends,
  present (3rd person singular)
• defended,
  past participle,  past
• defending
  present participle

1. Law. to enter or make a defense.

2. Sports. to prevent the opposing team from scoring.

   She’s a freshman who already scores and defends like a professional.

defend British  

/ dɪˈfɛnd /

verb

1. to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on

2. (tr) to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence

3. to represent (a defendant) in court in a civil or criminal action

4. sport to guard or protect (oneself, one's goal, etc) against attack

5. (tr) to protect (a championship or title) against a challenge

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Synonym Usage

Defend, guard, preserve, protect all mean to keep safe. To defend is to strive to keep safe by resisting attack: to defend one's country. To guard is to watch over in order to keep safe: to guard a camp. To preserve is to keep safe in the midst of danger, either in a single instance or continuously: to preserve a spirit of conciliation. To protect is to keep safe by interposing a shield or barrier: to protect books by means of heavy paper covers.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• defender
  noun
• defendable
  adjective
• undefendable
  adjective
• undefended
  adjective
• well-defended
  adjective
• undefendably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• defending
  present
• defended
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• defend
  simple
• defends
  simple
• have defended
  perfect
• has defended
  perfect
• am defending
  progressive
• are defending
  progressive
• is defending
  progressive
• have been defending
  perfect progressive
• has been defending
  perfect progressive

Past

• defended
  simple
• had defended
  perfect
• was defending
  progressive
• were defending
  progressive
• had been defending
  perfect progressive

Future

• will defend
  simple
• will have defended
  perfect
• will be defending
  progressive
• will have been defending
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of defend

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English defenden, from Old French défendre, from Latin dēfendere “to ward off, repel,” from dē- de- + -fendere “to strike” ( see also bane ( def. ))

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Explanation

Defend has different shades of meaning, but it always has the sense of protecting something — your ideas, for instance, or your title as world heavyweight champion. If you order the blood sausage and lamb when you're out to eat with your vegan friends, you may have to defend your eating habits, meaning speak up in support of your choices. Defend can also be something more concrete, like when you defend your property or your country. The lawyer who represents someone accused of a crime is there to defend the accused person — who is called the defendant — and to argue his case in court.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defend defends defended defending

"I could not get up, defend myself, or protect anyone else."

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

These immune cells normally help defend the body, but they can contribute to persistent inflammation and tissue damage when the immune system becomes overactive.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

“It’s rough right now. Defending the team this past couple months has been really rough ... and I’ve kind of just given up defending. How can you defend it?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

"We disagree with the verdict and will continue to defend ourselves against efforts to distort our record," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement in September.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Ella started to defend herself, but she didn't think Masterji Thakur would want her to mention the blueprints.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Blocking agents defends Amazon’s ability to advertise and sell directly to consumers—many of whom are Amazon Prime subscribers and won’t change where they shop just because their agents are cut off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Justice Alito defends the chief from that criticism by reflecting on the ways in which both judging and umpiring require experience, study and perspicacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Barrera defends the quality of public schools and advocates for increased funding and expanding what works from successful campuses to those with poorer academic results.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The most recent tally from NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners, said there were 344 such prisoners in the country as of September 18.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

On the contrary, it is completely subject to Fortune, not having the virtue that defends it faithfully in adverse times.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Acton’s mother defended him and accused her own daughter of lying.

From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026

Unlike most other insects, ivy bees sometimes defended their feeding spots by chasing or displacing honey bees, successfully competing for access to flowers.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

NFL executives defended the medical care Hurts received, stating that proper protocols were applied and his health was made the first priority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

David DeJute, who defended Obama against the so-called birther claims, spent a decade as vice president of litigation at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

It was well defended when I wore my armor.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

At the High Court in Glasgow, Ian Duguid, defending, said: "It is a plea of not guilty to the indictment."

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Eminem spends bar after bar defending his decision to even appear on the song, touting his decades-long friendship with Kid Rock and their intertwined history in the music industry.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

NRF2 plays an important protective role in cells by regulating hundreds of genes involved in defending against damage and maintaining normal cellular function.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

That’s when veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernández chimed in from the corner of the room with one more word to describe the two-time defending World Series champions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

But by the early 1900s, their roles were expanding, and women were tough in defending their rights; they were determined to have a voice in the larger union efforts.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

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Related Words

• contend
• fight
• fight for
• guard
• hold
• maintain
• oppose
• preserve
• prevent
• resist
• safeguard
• secure
• shield
• uphold

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