defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər 

1

: one that defends

2

: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Synonyms of defender

• guardian
• custodian
• protector
• protection
• bodyguard

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

For defenders protecting critical systems, that difference could provide another layer of confidence when every second matters. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Just as an example, Burnley’s Maxime Esteve picked up the fifth-most DEFCON points (38) among defenders but finished 62nd on the list of highest-scoring defenders. — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Veteran Dre'Mont Jones, who's typically a stout run defender, wasn't immune to the edge-setting problems that plagued the outside linebackers throughout practice. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Gameplay enhancements include deeper pre-snap options, smarter defenders, and an optional Catch Meter. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing defender

• public defender

Rhymes for defender

• bartender
• contender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender
• blender

Kids Definition

defender

noun

de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər 

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