defend

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(dĭ-fĕnd') pronunciation

v., -fend·ed, -fend·ing, -fends.

v.tr.
  1. To make or keep safe from danger, attack, or harm.
  2. Sports.
    1. To attempt to prevent the opposition from scoring while playing in or near (a goal or area of a field, for example).
    2. To be responsible for guarding (an opposing player).
    3. To compete against a challenger in an attempt to retain (a championship).
  3. To support or maintain, as by argument or action; justify.
  4. Law.
    1. To represent (a defendant) in a civil or criminal action.
    2. To attempt to disprove or invalidate (an action or claim).
v.intr.
  1. To make a defense.
  2. Sports. To play defense.

[Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, from Latin dēfendere, to ward off.]

defendable de·fend'a·ble adj.
defender de·fend'er n.

SYNONYMS   defend, protect, guard, preserve, shield, safeguard. These verbs mean to make or keep safe from danger, attack, or harm. Defend implies repelling an attack: defending her territory; defended his reputation. Protect often suggests providing a barrier to discomfort, injury, or attack: bought a dog to protect the children; wore sunglasses to protect her eyes. Guard suggests keeping watch: guarded the house against intruders. To preserve is to take measures to maintain something in safety: ecologists working to preserve our natural resources. Shield suggests protecting with a piece of defensive armor: hid the newspaper to shield me from the bad news. Safeguard stresses protection against potential danger: The Bill of Rights safeguards our individual liberties.


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verb

  1. To keep safe from danger, attack, or harm: guard, preserve, protect, safeguard, secure, shield, ward. Archaic fend. See attack/defend.
  2. To support against arguments, attack, or criticism: apologize, justify, maintain, vindicate. Idioms: speak up for, stand up for, stick up for. See support/oppose.


v

Definition: protect
Antonyms: abandon, attack, desert, leave, quit, relinquish, resign, surrender

v

Definition: show support for
Antonyms: deny, forsake, renounce

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To keep safe from harm or danger.

pronunciation She learned karate to defend herself.

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Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'defender'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to defender, see:

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - forsvare, støtte, beskytte, være forsvarer for
v. intr. - forsvare

Nederlands (Dutch)
verdedigen, verhoeden

Français (French)
v. tr. - défendre contre, (Jur, Sport) défendre, (fig) prendre le parti de, justifier
v. intr. - (Sport) être en défense, défendre

Deutsch (German)
v. - verteidigen, schützen, rechtfertigen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - υπερασπίζομαι, προασπίζω, προστατεύω, (αθλοπ.) αμύνομαι, (νομ.) υπερασπίζω (ως συνήγορος)

Italiano (Italian)
difendere

Português (Portuguese)
v. - defender

Русский (Russian)
защищать, оборонять

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - defender, proteger, salvaguardar, contender, retener
v. intr. - defender, abogar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - försvara

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
防护, 防卫, 辩护, 防御, 保护, 保卫, 进行辩护

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 防護, 防衛, 辯護
v. intr. - 防禦, 保護, 保衛, 進行辯護

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 수비하다, 변호하다, 방어하다
v. intr. - 항변하다, (운동 경기에서) 자리를 지키다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 守る, 擁護する, 弁護する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحمي شئ من الأذى, يدافع عن شئ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הגן על‬
v. intr. - ‮הגן על‬


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