defend
Americanverb (used with object)
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to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from oragainst ).
The sentry defended the gate against sudden attack.
- Antonyms:
- attack
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to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold.
She defended her claim successfully.
- Synonyms:
- vindicate
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to contest (a legal charge, claim, etc.).
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Law. to serve as attorney for (a defendant).
He has defended some of the most notorious criminals.
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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.
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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.
verb (used without object)
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Law. to enter or make a defense.
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Sports. to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
She’s a freshman who already scores and defends like a professional.
verb
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to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on
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(tr) to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence
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to represent (a defendant) in court in a civil or criminal action
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sport to guard or protect (oneself, one's goal, etc) against attack
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(tr) to protect (a championship or title) against a challenge
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
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defendernoun
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defendableadjective
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undefendableadjective
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undefendedadjective
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well-defendedadjective
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undefendablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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defendsimple
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defendssimple
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have defendedperfect
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has defendedperfect
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am defendingprogressive
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are defendingprogressive
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is defendingprogressive
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have been defendingperfect progressive
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has been defendingperfect progressive
Past
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defendedsimple
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had defendedperfect
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was defendingprogressive
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were defendingprogressive
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had been defendingperfect progressive
Future
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. ))
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.
Vocabulary lists containing defend
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Veterans Day Vocabulary
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
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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.
Rivals Charter Communications and Cox Communications are merging to defend their core broadband businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
“Our duty is to give it our all on the field. Our duty is to defend our crest and represent our country with dignity.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has repeated her warnings on intervention this week, telling investors that Japan will “take appropriate action whenever necessary” to defend the currency, and held recent calls with U.S.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
When Becket was founded, among its challenges was persuading donors and defenders of religious liberty that as a movement they had to defend more than the rights of their own respective groups.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
I open my mouth to defend myself but no words come out.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
