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

• 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

Chelsea paid a record $1.1 million transfer fee to acquire Girma from the San Diego Wave, and the star USWNT defender committed to the WSL with a four-and-a-half year deal. —Molly Geary, Sportico.com, 5 July 2025

He is also not being represented by a lawyer at this time due to a conflict of interest with the public defender's office. —Chris Spargo, People.com, 5 July 2025

Slippery conditions impact every player: receivers might stumble off the line, linemen and defenders can lose footing during explosive moves, and quick cuts might not land cleanly. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

Despite concerns about his offensive consistency, particularly in ball-handling and scoring aggression, his ideal length, mobility and high motor position him as a potential elite wing defender in the modern NBA — a perfect fit for Fernandez’s defensive vision. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 July 2025

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