v.
Pronunciation: di- ' fend
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French defendre, from Latin defendere, from de- + -fendere to strike; akin to Old English g ū th battle, war, Greek theinein to strike
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 a : to drive danger or attack away from < defend our shores> b (1) : to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism < defend a theory> (2) : to prove (as a doctoral thesis) valid by answering questions in an oral exam c : to attempt to prevent an opponent from scoring at <elects to defend the south goal>
2 archaic : PREVENT , FORBID
3 : to act as attorney for
4 : to deny or oppose the right of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or a wrong charged) : CONTEST
5 : to retain or seek to retain (as a title or position) against a challenge in a contest <they successfully defend ed their championship>
intransitive verb
1 : to take action against attack or challenge
2 : to play or be on defense <playing deep to defend against a pass>
3 : to play against the high bidder in a card game
– de · fend · able \ ' fen-d ə -b ə l \ adjective
synonyms DEFEND , PROTECT , SHIELD , GUARD , SAFEGUARD mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. DEFEND denotes warding off actual or threatened attack < defend the country>. PROTECT implies the use of something (as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure <a hard hat to protect your head>. SHIELD suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack < shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand>. GUARD implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger <White House entrances are well guarded >. SAFEGUARD implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger <our civil liberties must be safeguarded >. synonym see in addition MAINTAIN