defend

defend
de|fend [ dı`fend ] verb ***
▸ 1 protect from attack
▸ 2 speak to support someone/something
▸ 3 prevent something from failing
▸ 4 in law
▸ 5 try to win again
▸ 6 in sports
1. ) transitive to protect someone or something from attack:
Thousands of young men came forward, willing to defend their country.
defend someone/something from/against something: Steps are being taken to defend the city against attack.
defend yourself: You have a right to defend yourself if you are being attacked.
2. ) transitive to say things to support someone or something that is being criticized:
Mr. Rose defended the committee's decision to publish the report early.
strongly/strenuously/vigorously defend: He vigorously defended his party's record on human rights.
defend yourself against something: They must be given the opportunity to defend themselves against these allegations.
3. ) transitive to prevent something from failing, stopping, or being taken away:
Hundreds of miners are fighting to defend their jobs.
We will defend their right to free speech.
4. ) intransitive or transitive to be the lawyer in a court case who tries to prove that someone is not guilty
5. ) transitive to attempt to win a competition that you won last time in order to keep your position as winner:
She will be defending her Wimbledon title later this month.
successfully defend: Can Baxter successfully defend his heavyweight championship?
6. ) intransitive to play in a team sport in a position in which you are trying to prevent the other team from getting points:
The opposition defended extremely well in the second half.

Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Defend — De*fend (d[ e]*f[e^]nd ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Defended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Defending}.] [F. d[ e]fendre, L. defendere; de + fendere (only in comp.) to strike; perh. akin to Gr. qei nein to strike, and E. dint. Cf. {Dint}, {Defense}, {Fend}.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • defend — de·fend vt 1: to drive danger or attack away from using a weapon to defend oneself 2: to act as attorney for (a defendant) appointed to defend the accused 3: to deny or oppose the rights of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or claim) intend to… …   Law dictionary

  • defend — de‧fend [dɪˈfend] verb [transitive] LAW 1. if a lawyer defends someone charged with a crime, he or she represents that person and argues that they are not guilty of the charge 2. to do something in order to stop something being taken away or to… …   Financial and business terms

  • defend — 1 Defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. Defend implies the use of means to ward off something that actually threatens or to repel something that actually attacks {raise a large army to defend …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • defend — mid 13c., from O.Fr. defendre (12c.) defend, resist, and directly from L. defendere ward off, protect, guard, allege in defense, from de from, away (see DE (Cf. de )) + fendere to strike, push, from PIE root *gwhen to strike, kill (see BANE (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • defend — [v1] protect avert, battle, beat off, bulwark, care for, cherish, conserve, contend, cover, entrench, espouse, fend off, fight, fight for, fortify, foster, garrison, guard, guard against, hedge, hold, hold at bay, house, insure, keep safe, look… …   New thesaurus

  • defend — ► VERB 1) resist an attack on; protect from harm or danger. 2) conduct the case for (the party being accused or sued) in a lawsuit. 3) attempt to justify. 4) compete to retain (a title or seat) in a contest or election. 5) (in sport) protect one… …   English terms dictionary

  • defend — [dē fend′, difend′] vt. [ME defenden < OFr defendre < L defendere, to ward off, repel < de , away, from + fendere, to strike < IE base * gwhen , to strike > Gr theinein, to kill, strike, OE guth, combat] 1. a) to guard from attack; …   English World dictionary

  • defend */*/*/ — UK [dɪˈfend] / US verb Word forms defend : present tense I/you/we/they defend he/she/it defends present participle defending past tense defended past participle defended 1) [transitive] to protect someone or something from attack Thousands of… …   English dictionary

  • defend — de|fend W3S3 [dıˈfend] v [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: defendre, from Latin defendere, from fendere to hit ] 1.) [I and T] to do something in order to protect someone or something from being attacked ▪ a struggle to defend our homeland… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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