defense
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the act of protecting someone or something from being hurt or damaged.
n.the action of defending or protecting from physical or metaphorical attack, danger, or injury.
Simple“The city built a strong defense to protect the citizens from the rising floodwaters.”
In context“The castle's primary defense consisted of a deep moat and thick stone walls designed to withstand a prolonged siege.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'against'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the way a country protects itself using its army, navy, and air force.
n.government policy, infrastructure, and personnel related to national security and the military.
Simple“The government decided to increase spending on national defense this year.”
In context“The minister of defense argued that modernizing the air fleet was essential for maintaining regional stability.”
Teacher's tipIn British English, this is spelled 'defence'.
Synonymsmilitarynational security - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the lawyer or team of lawyers who represent the person accused of a crime.
n.the counsel and strategy used by the party being sued or accused in a legal proceeding.
Simple“The defense argued that the man was at home during the time of the crime.”
In context“The defense rested its case after presenting three witnesses who contradicted the prosecution's timeline of events.”
Synonymslegal teamAntonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
n.the players on a team whose job is to stop the other team from scoring.
n.the players, or the collective strategy, tasked with preventing the opposing team from scoring points.
Simple“Our team has a great defense, so the other side couldn't score any goals.”
In context“The coach emphasized that a solid defense is just as vital to winning the championship as a high-scoring offense.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.an argument or speech that supports an idea or person that is being criticized.
n.a spoken or written argument intended to justify or support a specific position or action.
Simple“She wrote a long letter in defense of her friend's controversial decision.”
In context“The professor published a brilliant defense of classical literature, arguing for its continued relevance in the digital age.”
SynonymsAntonymscriticismdenunciation - 06 C1 Advanced
v.to use a specific plan to stop an opponent from scoring in a game.
v.to employ defensive tactics or play in a defensive position during a sporting contest.
Simple“The team struggled to defense the opponent's fast players in the second half.”
In context“The strategy was to defense the perimeter aggressively, forcing the shooters into difficult, contested attempts from long range.”
UsageThis verb use is primarily found in American sports jargon; 'defend' is the standard verb in most other contexts.
Usage defense secretary · defence system
From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced native Old English bewering. The verb is from the noun.
From Middle English defencen, defensen, from Old French defenser or its etymon, Latin dēfēnsō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.