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

With the Heat continuing to play small, Siakam was able to shoot over smaller defenders, including an easy jumper over Davion Mitchell, who’s eight inches shorter at an even six feet. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026

In Saturday’s 56th minute, Godfrey received a pass from Dudinha, crossed up her defender, patiently moved to her right, and fired at the perfect moment to score the opening goal and give her team a 1-0 lead. —Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026

Play paused shortly after the opening kickoff as defender Joelle Anderson went down following a collision with a teammate on the pitch. —Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026

The Patriots need depth along both lines, especially at edge defender and right tackle. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 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