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

That’s impressive production for the 6-foot-2, 234-pound defender. —Mike Kaye april 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026

With 33 seconds remaining, after scoring five straight points and in possession of the ball, the Warriors used Curry’s gravity to draw defenders out of the paint, giving Gary Payton II enough space to catch a pass from Draymond Green and put in a layup for a 116-115 lead. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026

Queta also has drawn praise for his improvement as a defender and screener. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026

Burns’ wrister through traffic deflected off Kelly, then off a Blues defender and goalie Joel Hofer to equalize the game at 1-1. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 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