# defenseless

/dɪˈfɛnsɫəs/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/defenseless
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

having no way to protect yourself from harm or attack. You use this to describe someone or something that is weak and has no help.

For teachers: lacking protection or the means of self-defence; vulnerable to attack or injury. Often used to describe physical vulnerability or a lack of legal and social safeguards.

## Examples

- The small village was defenseless against the storm.
- Without a lawyer to represent her interests, the defendant felt completely defenseless in the courtroom.
- The treaty left the border regions effectively defenseless, as the removal of military outposts created a power vacuum that local militias were quick to exploit.

## Pitfalls

- Not "the defenselessness people" but "the defenseless people" — Learners sometimes confuse the noun 'defenselessness' with the adjective 'defenseless' when modifying a noun.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after linking verbs like 'feel' or 'remain'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.