defense

See also: défense

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From French défense, itself from Late Latin dēfensa (protection). Displaced native Old English bewering.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

defense (countable and uncountable, plural defenses) (American spelling)

  1. The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury.
  2. Anything employed to oppose attack(s).
    1. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense.
    2. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense.
  3. An argument in support or justification of something.
    1. (law, by extension) The case presented by the defendant in a legal proceeding.
    2. (law, by extension) The lawyer or team thereof who presents such a case.
  4. (government, military, euphemistic) Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
    Department of Defense
  5. (obsolete) A prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

LatinEdit

PronunciationEdit

ParticipleEdit

dēfēnse

  1. vocative masculine singular of dēfēnsus

SpanishEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /deˈfense/ [d̪eˈfẽn.se]
  • Rhymes: -ense
  • Syllabification: de‧fen‧se

VerbEdit

defense

  1. inflection of defensar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative