defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Examples of defender in a Sentence

one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Recent Examples on the Web As defender and host, Emirates Team New Zealand is to establish the rules, boat design, racing format and location for the 38th edition. Miles Socha, WWD, 20 Oct. 2024 Then with no time left on the clock, Garcia threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Damien Rodriguez, who made the catch despite being surrounded by defenders. Lou Ponsi, Orange County Register, 18 Oct. 2024 Quentin Grimes is a great shooter and a great defender. Mat Issa, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 And yes, style points like body rotation will be included, as will elements that account for whether a defender got posterized in the process. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for defender 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English defendour, defender, borrowed from Anglo-French defendour, defendur, from defend-, stem of defendre "to defend" + -our, -ur -or entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of defender was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near defender

Cite this Entry

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (as football) who plays a defensive position

Legal Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er
: a lawyer who represents defendants
especially : public defender

More from Merriam-Webster on defender

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