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defeat

v. · n.
US //dɪˈfit// UK //dɪfˈiːt// de·feat
  1. 1 to win against someone (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to win a victory over someone in a war, a competition, or a game.

    to overcome an opponent in a battle, contest, or competition. Transitive; requires a direct object representing the party that lost.

    Example

    The local team managed to defeat the champions in a surprising final match.

    Example

    The coalition forces worked together to defeat the insurgency, eventually restoring stability to the border regions after years of conflict.
  2. 2 to make something fail (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to stop a plan or an idea from being successful.

    to frustrate or prevent the success of a plan, purpose, or expectation.

    Example

    A lack of funding might defeat our hopes of building a new community centre.

    Example

    The complexity of the legal requirements threatened to defeat the merger before the final contracts could even be drafted.
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  1. 3 to nullify (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

    to make something legally void or to cancel its effect.

    to render null and void; to cause a legal claim or action to fail.

    Example

    The judge ruled that the new evidence was enough to defeat the plaintiff's claim.

    Example

    The defence sought to defeat the motion by proving that the statute of limitations had already expired before the filing.
  2. 4 the act of losing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    an occasion when you lose a fight or a competition.

    the state of being overcome or the instance of losing a contest. Countable when referring to specific events; uncountable as a general concept.

    Example

    The general refused to admit defeat even when his army was surrounded.

    Example

    After suffering a narrow defeat in the primary election, the candidate thanked her supporters and promised to continue her advocacy work.
Etymology 1

From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.

Etymology 2

From Middle English defet, from French deffet, desfait, past participle of the verb desfaire (compare modern French défaire), from des- + faire.

Idioms2 entries

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