(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Note: The spelling 'defense' is used in American English, and in meaning 8 is pronounced
1.
Defence is action that is taken to protect someone or something against attack.
The land was flat, giving no scope for ~...
By wielding a knife in ~ you run the risk of having it used against you.
N-UNCOUNT
2.
Defence is the organization of a country’s armies and weapons, and their use to protect the country or its interests.
Twenty eight percent of the federal budget is spent on defense.
...the French ~ minister.
N-UNCOUNT: oft N n
3.
The ~s of a country or region are all its armed forces and weapons.
...the need to maintain Britain’s ~s at a sufficiently high level.
N-PLURAL
4.
A ~ is something that people or animals can use or do to protect themselves.
The immune system is our main ~ against disease...
= protection
N-COUNT: oft N against n
5.
A ~ is something that you say or write which supports ideas or actions that have been criticized or questioned.
Chomsky’s ~ of his approach goes further...
= justification
N-COUNT: oft N of n, also in N
6.
In a court of law, an accused person’s ~ is the process of presenting evidence in their favour.
He has insisted on conducting his own ~.
N-COUNT: oft with poss
7.
The ~ is the case that is presented by a lawyer in a trial for the person who has been accused of a crime. You can also refer to this person’s lawyers as the ~.
The ~ was that the records of the interviews were fabricated by the police...
N-SING: usu the N
8.
In games such as football or hockey, the ~ is the group of players in a team who try to stop the opposing players scoring a goal or a point.
Their ~, so strong last season, has now conceded 12 goals in six games...
I still prefer to play in ~.
? attack
N-SING-COLL: oft poss N, also in N
9.
If you come to someone’s ~, you help them by doing or saying something to protect them.
He realized none of his schoolmates would come to his defense...
PHRASE: PHR after v