Defense Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

3a : means or method of defending or protecting oneself, one's team, or another the nation's air and ground defenses Big shells are an effective defense ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut defense noun SaveWord de·​fense |\di-ˈfen(t)s ;asantonymof"offense"oftenˈdē-ˌfen(t)s \ Definitionofdefense (Entry1of2) 1a :theactoractionofdefending thedefenseofourcountryspeakoutindefenseofjusticequicklyjumpedtoherfriend'sdefense b law :thedenial,answer,orplea(seepleasense2b)ofoneagainstwhomacriminalorcivilactionisbrought:adefendant'sdenial,answer,orplea 2a :capabilityofresistingattack thebody'sdefenseagainstdisease b sports :abilitytokeepanopponentfromscoringinagameorcontest:defensiveplayorability aplayerknownforgooddefense 3a :meansormethodofdefendingorprotectingoneself,one'steam,oranother thenation'sairandgrounddefensesBigshellsareaneffectivedefenseagainstthesepredatorsaswell.—GregoryP.Dietl also :adefensivestructure b :anargumentinsupportorjustification offerednodefenseofhisactions c law :thecollectedfactsandmethodadoptedbyadefendanttoprotectanddefendagainstaplaintiff'saction Hislawyersusedaninsanitydefense. d chess :asequenceofmovesavailabletothesecondplayerintheopening(seeopeningsense3a) 4a law :adefendingpartyorgroup(asinacourtoflaw) Thedefenserests. b sports :adefensiveteam Hewasthelinchpinofoneoftheleague'sstoutestdefenses…—SarahKwak 5 government :themilitaryandindustrialaggregatethatauthorizesandsupervisesarmsproduction appropriationsfordefensedefensecontract defense verb defensed;defensing Definitionofdefense (Entry2of2) transitiveverb sports :totakespecificdefensiveactionagainst(anopposingteamorplayeroranoffensiveplay):toattempttokeep(anopponentorplay)fromscoringinagameorcontest TheganglyPresseywasclearlyMilwaukee'sonlyrealhopeofdefensingBird…—JackMcCallum OtherWordsfromdefense Synonyms MoreExampleSentences PhrasesContainingdefense LearnMoreAboutdefense OtherWordsfromdefense Noun defenseless \ di-​ˈfen(t)s-​ləs \ adjective defenselessly adverb defenselessness noun Synonymsfordefense Synonyms:Noun aegis(alsoegis),ammunition,armor,buckler,cover,guard,protection,safeguard,screen,security,shield,wall,ward VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofdefenseinaSentence Noun Theyputupagooddefense,butthecityultimatelyfelltotheinvaders. Theymountedagooddefense. Thecity'sdefenseswerenotstrongenoughtokeepouttheinvaders. Weneedtoimproveourdefenses. thenation'sairandgrounddefenses RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun Especiallythedefensewasplayingsowellbehindhim. — LosAngelesTimes,16July2022 DequanStennismadesomebigplaysatcorneraswellfortheSouthdefense. — PaulShepherd,TheIndianapolisStar,16July2022 ThedefensesaidprosecutorsneverprovedthatJoelorJosephDiggswasnotpresentatagatheringofGaulden’sfriendsattheBeverlyHiltonHoteldaysearlier. — NancyDillon,RollingStone,15July2022 ThehearingwasadjournedtoJuly26,afterthedefenserequestedmoretimetoprepare. — TatyanaChistikova,NBCNews,15July2022 Thedefensearguedthatoverseveralrecentyears,lessthan6%ofdefendantschargedwithfraudof$1.5millionormoreweresentencedtofiveyearsorlongerinprison. — LelahByron,JournalSentinel,15July2022 Andthefearsomewind,whichalongwiththebunkersisthegreatdefenseoftheOldCourse,isforecasttobealittlemorethanaweebreeze. — TimBielik,cleveland,14July2022 ButexpertssayvaccinesandboostersarestillthebestdefenseagainstsevereCOVID-19. — LauraUngar,BostonGlobe.com,14July2022 Fireexperts,landmanagers,governmentagencies,andeventhepublichaveincreasinglyembracedtheideathatthebestdefenseagainstwildfiresisregularburning. — TheChristianScienceMonitor,14July2022 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb Mickelsonwasnotcalledtotestify;hisattorneyhadtoldboththeprosecutionanddefensehisclientwouldinvokehisFifthAmendmentrights. — GeneWang,WashingtonPost,15May2022 Dorowconsentedtodefenserequeststocloseaportionofthefour-hourhearing,anissuetowhichtheWaukeshaCountyDistrictAttorney'sOfficedidnotobject. — JimRiccioli,MilwaukeeJournalSentinel,29Mar.2022 NotexactlyastellarperformanceconsideringOhioStatescored44first-halfpointsagainstacompromisedversionofthatsameHoosiersdefensetwoweeksearlier. — NathanBaird,cleveland,8Nov.2021 Opponentshaveconverted59%oftheirthird-downplaysagainstMiami,makingtheDolphinsdefensetheNFL'sworstinthosesituations. — ScottHorner,TheIndianapolisStar,30Sep.2021 Onlythencandefenseattorneysandthepublicchallengetheplan,Gilmersaid. — KenRitter,StarTribune,20May2021 All-American,buttheGatorsmovedthebulkylinemantodefense. — AdamLichtenstein,sun-sentinel.com,28Apr.2021 JuniorJoeBrunnerwasnamedasanoffensiveanddefensivelinemanandseniorGroverBortolottireceiveddistinctionasarunningbackanddefenseback. — MarkStewart,MilwaukeeJournalSentinel,30Nov.2020 There’ssignificantcompetitionloweronthedepthchartasthefreshmenwillpushfortimeandKrisHutson,JoshDelgado,LanceWilhoiteandBryanAddison,whomovedtodefenselatelastseason,areallaimingformorereps. — oregonlive,30Mar.2021 SeeMore Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'defense.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. PhrasesContainingdefense indefenseof(somethingorsomeone) defensemechanism jumptosomeone'sdefense insomething'sorsomeone'sdefense lineofdefense ondefense leaptosomeone'sdefense self-defense zonedefense civildefense come/jumptosomeone'sdefense testifyforthedefense/prosecution thedefense SeeMore indefenseof(somethingorsomeone) defensemechanism jumptosomeone'sdefense insomething'sorsomeone'sdefense lineofdefense ondefense leaptosomeone'sdefense self-defense zonedefense civildefense come/jumptosomeone'sdefense testifyforthedefense/prosecution thedefense SeeMore FirstKnownUseofdefense Noun 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1aVerb 1932,inthemeaningdefinedabove HistoryandEtymologyfordefense Noun MiddleEnglishdefense,defence,borrowedfromAnglo-Frenchdefens,defense,defence,borrowedfromMedievalLatindēfensa,dēfensum(LateLatindēfensa"vengeance"),nominalderivativesfromfeminineandneuterofLatindēfensus,pastparticipleofdēfendere"towardoff,defend" Verb derivativeofdefenseentry1 LearnMoreAboutdefense Sharedefense PosttheDefinitionofdefensetoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofdefenseonTwitter TimeTravelerfordefense Thefirstknownuseofdefensewas inthe14thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNeardefense defenestration defense defenseindepth SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsfordefense LastUpdated 19Jul2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Defense.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defense.Accessed28Jul.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsfordefense defense noun de·​fense |\di-ˈfens \ KidsDefinitionofdefense 1 :theactofprotectingordefending Theyweredefeatedinspiteofabravedefense. 2 :somethingthatdefendsorprotects …sneakingouttospyonhimwasnotmuchofadefenseagainsthistreachery.—LemonySnicket,TheAustereAcademy 3 :theplayersonateamwhotrytostoptheotherteamfromscoring OtherWordsfromdefense defenseless \ -​ləs \ adjective defense noun de·​fense variants: orchieflyBritishdefence\ di-​ˈfen(t)s \ Medical Definitionofdefense :ameansormethodofprotectingthephysicalorfunctionalintegrityofbodyormind abilitytoconcentrateurinemaybeinterpretedasarenaldefenseofbodyvolumefluid—JackMetcoff defense noun de·​fense |\di-ˈfens,ˈdē-ˌfens \ Legal Definitionofdefense 1 :theactoractionofdefending—seealsoself-defense 2a :thetheoryorgroundthatformsthebasisforadefendant'soppositiontoanallegationinacomplaintortoachargeinacharginginstrument(asanindictment) also :theevidenceandargumentspresentedsupportingthedefendant'sopposition—seealsoaccord,alibi,assumptionofrisk,coercion,consent,contributorynegligenceatnegligence,denial,diminishedcapacity,duress,entrapment,estoppel,fraud,infancy,insanity,intoxication,laches,mistake,necessity,resjudicata,statuteoflimitations — absolutedefense :completedefenseinthisentry — affirmativedefense :adefensethatdoesnotdenythetruthoftheallegationsagainstthedefendantbutgivessomeotherreason(asinsanity,assumptionofrisk,orexpirationofthestatuteoflimitations)whythedefendantcannotbeheldliable Note: Thedefendantbearstheburdenofproofastoaffirmativedefenses. — choiceofevilsdefense :adefensetoacriminalchargebasedontheassertionthatthecriminalactwascommittedtoavoidthecommissionofanevengreaterevil —calledalso lesserevilsdefense Note: Injurisdictionsthatrecognizethechoiceofevilsdefense,itencompassesbothoftheolderdefensesofduressandnecessity. — completedefense :adefensethatshieldsthedefendantfromanyliabilityandbarsanyrecoverybytheplaintiff—comparepartialdefenseinthisentry — lesserevilsdefense :choiceofevilsdefenseinthisentry — meritoriousdefense :adefensethatisbasedonevidencesufficienttowarrantsettingasideadefaultjudgmentagainstthedefendantincivillitigation — partialdefense :adefensebywhichthedefendantreducestheamountofdamagesofwhichheorsheisliable—comparecompletedefenseinthisentry b :abasisuponwhichanobligorofanegotiableinstrumentmayavoidliabilityundertheinstrument — personaldefense :adefenseofanobligorunderanegotiableinstrumentthatcanbeassertedagainstanyonebutaholderinduecourse — realdefense :adefenseofanobligorofanegotiableinstrumentthatmaybeassertedevenagainstaholderinduecourse Note: Section3-305(a)(1)oftheUniformCommercialCodesetsouttherealdefensesasinfancy,duress,lackoflegalcapacity,illegalityofthetransaction,fraudinthefactum,anddischargeoftheobligorbyabankruptcycourt.Byexclusion,allotherdefensesarepersonaldefenses. 3 :thedefendingsideinalegalproceeding thedefenserests —compareprosecution MorefromMerriam-Websterondefense Nglish:TranslationofdefenseforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofdefenseforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY ostentatious SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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