Pronunciation: di- ' fen(t)s; as antonym of “ offense, ” often ' d ē - ˌ
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin defensa vengeance, from Latin, feminine of defensus, past participle of defendere
Date: 14th century
1 a : the act or action of defending <the defense of our country> <speak out in defense of justice> b : a defendant's denial, answer, or plea
2 a : capability of resisting attack b : defensive play or ability <a player known for good defense >
3 a : means or method of defending or protecting oneself, one's team, or another also : a defensive structure b : an argument in support or justification c : the collected facts and method adopted by a defendant to protect and defend against a plaintiff's action d : a sequence of moves available in chess to the second player in the opening
4 a : a defending party or group (as in a court of law) <the defense rests> b : a defensive team
5 : the military and industrial aggregate that authorizes and supervises arms production <appropriations for defense > < defense contract>
– de · fense · less \ -l ə s \ adjective
– de · fense · less · ly adverb
– de · fense · less · ness noun