defense
Other forms: defenses
Defense has to do with protecting something or fighting against an opponent, whether it's national defense, a football team's defense, or a defense lawyer.
Defense is the opposite of offense. It has to do with defending against all sorts of things: In the military, defense is about protecting a country from attack. In sports, defense is supposed to stop the other team from scoring. A defense attorney tries to prove his client is innocent. A defense can even be an excuse for doing something, as in "In my own defense, I was sleepwalking at the time."
Definitions of defense
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the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury“a good boxer needs a good defense”“defense against hurricanes is an urgent problem”
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synonyms:
defence
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type of:
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protection
the activity of protecting someone or something
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protection
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a structure used to defend against attack“the artillery battered down the defenses”
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synonyms:
defence, 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
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fortification, munition
defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it
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fort, fortress
a fortified defensive structure
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line of defence, line of defense
defensive structure consisting of a barrier that can be employed for defense against attack
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outwork
subsidiary defensive structure lying outside the main fortified area
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fastness, stronghold
a strongly fortified defensive structure
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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
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alcazar
any of various Spanish fortresses or palaces built by the Moors
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bastion
projecting part of a rampart or other fortification
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bastion, citadel
a stronghold into which people could go for shelter during a battle
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blockhouse
a stronghold that is reinforced for protection from enemy fire; with apertures for defensive fire
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bunker, dugout
a fortification of earth; mostly or entirely below ground
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castle
a large building formerly occupied by a ruler and fortified against attack
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defilade
the arrangement of defensive fortifications to protect against enemy fire
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entrenchment, intrenchment
an entrenched fortification; a position protected by trenches
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escarp, escarpment, protective embankment, scarp
a steep artificial slope in front of a fortification
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fieldwork
a temporary fortification built by troops in the field
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hold
a stronghold
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donjon, dungeon, keep
the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress
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lunette
temporary fortification like a detached bastion
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martello tower
a circular masonry fort for coastal defence
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palisade
fortification consisting of a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground
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breastwork, parapet
fortification consisting of a low wall
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presidio
a fortress established in the southwestern United States by the Spanish in order to protect their missions and other holdings
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redoubt
an entrenched stronghold or refuge
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redoubt
(military) a temporary or supplementary fortification; typically square or polygonal without flanking defenses
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sconce
a small fort or earthwork defending a ford, pass, or castle gate
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stockade
fortification consisting of a fence made of a line of stout posts set firmly for defense
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type of:
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construction, structure
a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
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(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies“they died in the defense of Stalingrad”“they were developed for the defense program”
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synonyms:
defence, defensive measure
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types:
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umbrella
a formation of military planes maintained over ground operations or targets
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air defense
defensive measures designed to destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles or to nullify their effectiveness
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stand
a defensive effort
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hasty defence, hasty defense
a defense organized while in contact with the enemy or when time is limited
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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
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biodefence, biodefense, biological defence, biological defense
procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using biological agents
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chemical defence, chemical defense
procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using chemical agents
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minelaying, mining
laying explosive mines in concealed places to destroy enemy personnel and equipment
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BW defence, BW defense, biological warfare defence, biological warfare defense
defense against biological warfare
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active air defense
air defense by the use aircraft or missiles or artillery or electronic countermeasures
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passive air defense
air defense by the use of deception or dispersion or protective construction
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repulsion, standoff
the act of repulsing or repelling an attack; a successful defensive stand
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type of:
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action, military action
a military engagement
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an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack“he joined the defense against invasion”
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synonyms:
defence, defence force, defense force
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types:
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bastion
a group that defends a principle
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type of:
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organisation, organization
a group of people who work together
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bastion
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(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
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protection from harm“sanitation is the best defense against disease”
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synonyms:
defence
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type of:
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protection
the activity of protecting someone or something
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protection
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(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
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types:
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compensation
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviors
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conversion
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism represses emotional conflicts which are then converted into physical symptoms that have no organic basis
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denial
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts
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displacement
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable one
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idealisation, idealization
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad
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intellectualisation, intellectualization
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict
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isolation
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it
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projection
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone else
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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
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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
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regression
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile state
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repression
(psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious
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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
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overcompensation
(psychiatry) an attempt to overcome a real or imagined defect or unwanted trait by overly exaggerating its opposite
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type of:
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process, unconscious process
a mental process that you are not directly aware of
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psychoanalytic process
a process that is assumed to occur in psychoanalytic theory
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the justification for some act or belief“he offered a persuasive defense of the theory”
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synonyms:
defence, vindication
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types:
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apologia, apology
a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
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alibi
(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
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alibi, exculpation, excuse, self-justification
a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
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extenuation, mitigation
a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances
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type of:
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justification
a statement in explanation of some action or belief
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the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions“in defense he said the other man started it”
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synonyms:
defence, refutation
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types:
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confutation
the speech act of refuting conclusively
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rebuttal
the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
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type of:
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answer
the speech act of replying to a question
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confutation
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the defendant and his legal advisors collectively“the defense called for a mistrial”
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synonyms:
defence, defense lawyers, defense team
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Antonyms:
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prosecution
the lawyers acting for the state to put the case against the defendant
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type of:
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accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
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prosecution
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a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him“he gave evidence for the defense”
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Antonyms:
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criminal prosecution, prosecution
the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior
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types:
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entrapment
a defense that claims the defendant would not have broken the law if not tricked into doing it by law enforcement officials
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type of:
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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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criminal prosecution, prosecution
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘defense'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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