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Definition of defensive
1 : serving to defend or protect defensive fortifications
2a : devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack defensive behavior He became defensive when I brought up his spending habits.b sports : of or relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest a player with good defensive skills made a brilliant defensive play
3 card games a : valuable in defensive play a defensive card in bridgeb : designed to keep an opponent from being the highest bidder a defensive bid
defensively
adverbdefensiveness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of defensive in a Sentence
The city began building a defensive wall around its borders.
The government decided to join a defensive alliance with several other nations.
I was surprised by his defensive reaction to my suggestion.
There's no need to get so defensive. I was only making a suggestion.
When we asked her about the mistakes, she became defensive.
The coach has a strong defensive strategy.
Recent Examples of defensive from the Web
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His defensive presence will be welcomed by Coach Michael Malone, as well.
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Mr. Kuhn suggested that the timing could be related to the French presidential election, which elevated Emmanuel Macron, a pro-European centrist who has advocated closer defensive cooperation between France and Germany.
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Wasielewski will again line up at offensive tackle and defensive end, providing the Rams offense with a dependable blocker and the defense with a dangerous pass rusher.
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But on Saturday, Mahtook was on the other end of a defensive gem, when Cleveland’s Bradley Zimmer made a diving catch in left-center to take a hit away from him.
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This will be the fourth consecutive season the Cowboys begin with a defensive contributor suspended.
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Alexis’s athletic history amounted to the level of a very gangly defensive tackle for Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, far more interested in science fairs and programming and building Web sites.
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Arguably the best defensive center in this draft class, Anigbogu slipped dramatically on draft day because teams were so worried about the knee injury that’s limited his activity during the draft process.
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Three months ago, Perkins, an incoming senior defensive back, had settled on his collegiate choice after a short, but difficult process.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defensive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of defensive
see 1defense
defensive
Definition of defensive
on the defensive
: in the state or condition of being prepared or required to defend against attack or criticism keeping his political opponent on the defensive
Examples of defensive in a Sentence
their unexpectedly harsh words put him on the defensive
Recent Examples of defensive from the Web
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The idea was to reverse the role of being on the defensive to being on the offensive.
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However, Tennessee defensive back Malik Foreman managed to run Williams down at the two yard line and strip the ball, which went through the back of the end zone for a touchback.
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Moscow’s barrage of broadcasts, however, is expertly produced and delivered in the language of preference of Donbass—Russian, not Ukrainian—putting Kiev firmly on the defensive.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defensive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of defensive
see 1defense
DEFENSIVE Defined for English Language Learners
defensive
playDefinition of defensive for English Language Learners
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: defending or protecting someone or something from attack : helping to keep a person or thing safe
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: behaving in a way that shows that you feel people are criticizing you
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sports : of or relating to the way that players try to stop an opponent from scoring in a game or contest
DEFENSIVE Defined for Kids
Definition of defensive for Students
1 : serving or meant to defend or protect a defensive structure
2 : relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring a defensive play
3 : showing a dislike for criticism She got defensive about my suggestion.
defensively
adverbDefinition of defensive for Students
: a position or attitude that is meant to defend The criticism put him on the defensive.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of defensive
1: serving to defend or protect (as the ego) face-saving is a common defensive reaction—Psychology Today
2: devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack defensive behavior
defensively
adverbdefensiveness
nounLaw Dictionary
defensive
Legal Definition of defensive
1 : serving to defend or as part of a defense a defensive pleading
2 : devoted to resisting or preventing aggressive actions a defensive recapitalization…to escape a takeover attempt — Barbara Franklin
defensively
adverbLearn More about defensive
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for defensive Spanish Central: Translation of defensive Nglish: Translation of defensive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of defensive for Arabic speakers
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