Main Entry: de·fend

Pronunciation: \di-ˈfend\

Function: verb

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French defendre, from Latin defendere, from de- + -fendere to strike; akin to Old English gūth battle, war, Greek theinein to strike

Date: 14th century

transitive verb 1 a : to drive danger or attack away from <defend our shores> b (1) : to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism <defend a theory> (2) : to prove (as a doctoral thesis) valid by answering questions in an oral exam c : to attempt to prevent an opponent from scoring at <elects to defend the south goal>
2 archaic : prevent, forbid
3 : to act as attorney for
4 : to deny or oppose the right of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or a wrong charged) : contest
5 : to retain or seek to retain (as a title or position) against a challenge in a contest <they successfully defended their championship>intransitive verb 1 : to take action against attack or challenge
2 : to play or be on defense <playing deep to defend against a pass>
3 : to play against the high bidder in a card game

— de·fend·able \ˈfen-də-bəl\ adjective

synonyms defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack <defend the country>. protect implies the use of something (as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure <a hard hat to protect your head>. shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack <shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand>. guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger <White House entrances are well guarded>. safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger <our civil liberties must be safeguarded>.

synonyms see in addition maintain