defence

Other forms: defences

This word does NOT mean taking down a fence; it is the British spelling of "defense" — a word that means the act of protecting or defending. Wearing garlic around your neck might be your defence against vampires.

Defence can be verbal as well as physical. If you're in court charged with a crime, you (and your lawyer, if you have one) are called "the defence." If your only defence is that you were sleepwalking when you robbed a gas station, you might be going away for awhile. If you play defence in a team sport, your main job is to keep the other team from scoring (so stay wide awake).

Definitions of defence
  1. noun
    the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury
    synonyms: defense
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    type of:
    protection
    the activity of protecting someone or something
  2. noun
    a structure used to defend against attack
    synonyms: defense, defensive structure
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    types:
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    cheval-de-frise, chevaux-de-frise
    defensive structure consisting of a movable obstacle composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame; used to obstruct cavalry
    fortification, munition
    defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it
    fort, fortress
    a fortified defensive structure
    line of defence, line of defense
    defensive structure consisting of a barrier that can be employed for defense against attack
    outwork
    subsidiary defensive structure lying outside the main fortified area
    fastness, stronghold
    a strongly fortified defensive structure
    abatis, abattis
    a line of defense consisting of a barrier of felled or live trees with branches (sharpened or with barbed wire entwined) pointed toward the enemy
    alcazar
    any of various Spanish fortresses or palaces built by the Moors
    bastion
    projecting part of a rampart or other fortification
    bastion, citadel
    a stronghold into which people could go for shelter during a battle
    blockhouse
    a stronghold that is reinforced for protection from enemy fire; with apertures for defensive fire
    bunker, dugout
    a fortification of earth; mostly or entirely below ground
    castle
    a large building formerly occupied by a ruler and fortified against attack
    defilade
    the arrangement of defensive fortifications to protect against enemy fire
    entrenchment, intrenchment
    an entrenched fortification; a position protected by trenches
    escarp, escarpment, protective embankment, scarp
    a steep artificial slope in front of a fortification
    fieldwork
    a temporary fortification built by troops in the field
    hold
    a stronghold
    donjon, dungeon, keep
    the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress
    lunette
    temporary fortification like a detached bastion
    martello tower
    a circular masonry fort for coastal defence
    palisade
    fortification consisting of a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground
    breastwork, parapet
    fortification consisting of a low wall
    presidio
    a fortress established in the southwestern United States by the Spanish in order to protect their missions and other holdings
    redoubt
    an entrenched stronghold or refuge
    redoubt
    (military) a temporary or supplementary fortification; typically square or polygonal without flanking defenses
    sconce
    a small fort or earthwork defending a ford, pass, or castle gate
    stockade
    fortification consisting of a fence made of a line of stout posts set firmly for defense
    type of:
    construction, structure
    a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
  3. noun
    (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
    synonyms: defense, defensive measure
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    umbrella
    a formation of military planes maintained over ground operations or targets
    air defense
    defensive measures designed to destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles or to nullify their effectiveness
    stand
    a defensive effort
    hasty defence, hasty defense
    a defense organized while in contact with the enemy or when time is limited
    deliberate defence, deliberate defense
    a defense organized before contact is made with the enemy and while time for organization is available; usually includes a fortified zone (with pillboxes) and communication systems
    biodefence, biodefense, biological defence, biological defense
    procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using biological agents
    chemical defence, chemical defense
    procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using chemical agents
    minelaying, mining
    laying explosive mines in concealed places to destroy enemy personnel and equipment
    BW defence, BW defense, biological warfare defence, biological warfare defense
    defense against biological warfare
    active air defense
    air defense by the use aircraft or missiles or artillery or electronic countermeasures
    passive air defense
    air defense by the use of deception or dispersion or protective construction
    repulsion, standoff
    the act of repulsing or repelling an attack; a successful defensive stand
    type of:
    action, military action
    a military engagement
  4. noun
    an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack
    synonyms: defence force, defense, defense force
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    types:
    bastion
    a group that defends a principle
    type of:
    organisation, organization
    a group of people who work together
  5. noun
    (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
    synonyms: defending team, defense
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    antonyms:
    offence
    the team that has the ball (or puck) and is trying to score
    type of:
    squad, team
    a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
  6. noun
    protection from harm
    synonyms: defense
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    type of:
    protection
    the activity of protecting someone or something
  7. noun
    (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
    synonyms: defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense, defense mechanism, defense reaction
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    compensation
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviors
    conversion
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism represses emotional conflicts which are then converted into physical symptoms that have no organic basis
    denial
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts
    displacement
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable one
    idealisation, idealization
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad
    intellectualisation, intellectualization
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict
    isolation
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it
    projection
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone else
    rationalisation, rationalization
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening
    reaction formation
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them
    regression
    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile state
    repression
    (psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious
    transference
    (psychoanalysis) the process whereby emotions are passed on or displaced from one person to another; during psychoanalysis the displacement of feelings toward others (usually the parents) is onto the analyst
    overcompensation
    (psychiatry) an attempt to overcome a real or imagined defect or unwanted trait by overly exaggerating its opposite
    type of:
    process, unconscious process
    a mental process that you are not directly aware of
    psychoanalytic process
    a process that is assumed to occur in psychoanalytic theory
  8. noun
    the justification for some act or belief
    synonyms: defense, vindication
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    apologia, apology
    a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
    alibi
    (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
    alibi, exculpation, excuse, self-justification
    a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
    extenuation, mitigation
    a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances
    type of:
    justification
    a statement in explanation of some action or belief
  9. noun
    the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
    synonyms: defense, refutation
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    types:
    confutation
    the speech act of refuting conclusively
    rebuttal
    the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
    type of:
    answer
    the speech act of replying to a question
  10. noun
    the defendant and his legal advisors collectively
    synonyms: defense, defense lawyers, defense team
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    type of:
    accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection
    several things grouped together or considered as a whole
  11. noun
    a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him
    synonyms: defense, demurrer, denial
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    types:
    entrapment
    a defense that claims the defendant would not have broken the law if not tricked into doing it by law enforcement officials
    type of:
    due process, due process of law
    (law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles; based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards
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