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REFERENCE

protected

adj. · v.
US //pɹəˈtɛktɪd// UK //pɹətˈɛktɪd// pro·tect·ed
  1. 1 safe from harm (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    kept safe from danger, damage, or attack.

    shielded from injury, damage, or external interference.

    Example

    The rare birds live in a protected area where hunting is not allowed.

    Example

    The historic district is a protected zone, meaning developers cannot alter the facades of the buildings without government approval.

    Usage

    Often used before a noun to describe legal or environmental status.
  2. 2 programming access (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a setting in computer code that lets only certain related parts of the program see or use a piece of data.

    an access modifier in object-oriented programming that restricts visibility to the containing class and its subclasses.

    Example

    I changed the variable to protected so that the child classes could still use it.

    Example

    By declaring the method as protected, the developer ensured that it remained inaccessible to external packages while allowing for inheritance.

    Usage

    Used as a keyword in languages like Java, C++, and C#.
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  1. 3 past action of guarding (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the past tense of protect; to have kept someone or something safe.

    the past tense and past participle form of the transitive verb 'protect'.

    Example

    The umbrella protected us from the heavy rain while we walked home.

    Example

    The treaty protected the smaller nation from economic sanctions for over a decade before it was eventually renegotiated.

    Usage

    Follows the standard rules for regular past tense verbs.

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