protect

verb

pro·​tect prə-ˈtekt 

protected; protecting; protects

transitive verb

1

a

: to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction : guard

b

: defend sense 1c

protect the goal

2

: to maintain the status or integrity of especially through financial or legal guarantees: such as

a

: to save from contingent financial loss

b

: to foster or shield from infringement or restriction

salesmen with protected territories

protect one's rights

specifically : to restrict competition for (something, such as a domestic industry) by means of tariffs or trade controls

3

: defend sense 5

protect a lead

intransitive verb

: to provide a guard or shield

protects against tooth decay

protectable

prə-ˈtek-tə-bəl 

adjective

protective

prə-ˈtek-tiv 

adjective

protectively adverb

protectiveness noun

Synonyms

• bulwark
• cover
• defend
• fence
• fend
• forfend
• guard
• keep
• safeguard
• screen
• secure
• shield
• ward

Choose the Right Synonym for protect

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack.

defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Examples of protect in a Sentence

He had no raincoat to protect himself from the rain.

She keeps her jewelry protected in a safe.

You have to protect your business against fraud.

New laws have been passed to protect your privacy.

The forest is protected by federal law.

The high taxes on imported goods are intended to protect domestic producers.

Sunscreen helps to protect against sunburn.

The insurance protects you against flooding.

The insurance does not protect against damage caused by earthquakes.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Though there is no cure for tinnitus, Aniruddha Deshpande, the chair of the department of speech-language-hearing sciences at Hofstra University in New York, said there are simple steps people can take to protect themselves and potentially prevent the condition. —Katie Mogg, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2023

Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog, translated from the German by Michael Hofmann Linda Greenhouse An Unhealthy Definition of Rights For the new majority on the Supreme Court, religious liberty takes precedence over the government’s power to protect public health. —Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2023

Two new studies found that tai chi may be beneficial in protecting memory for seniors with mild cognitive impairment, and in slowing symptom progression for those with Parkinson's disease. —Julia Landwehr, Health, 30 Nov. 2023

Shifting The Focus To Application Layer Security The need for software applications to effectively protect themselves from attacks using the latest information technology precepts can’t be over-emphasized. —Valentine Wats, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

Then the project changed again, back to a feature, this time with an almost 200-page script about a group of outlaws and peasants led by a fearless female protagonist who rise up to protect their peaceful moon settlement from a tyrannical regent. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2023

Data will be protected and only qualified researchers will have access to it. —Liz Seegert, Fortune Well, 19 Nov. 2023

As the country grapples with a surge in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, federal agencies and university administrators are struggling to walk a fine line between providing security on college campuses and protecting free speech. —Fiona Glisson, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023

The goals are to provide fresh air, stimulation, exercise, entertainment and enrichment to keep cats busy, happy and engaged with nature, while keeping them safe inside away from predators and protecting birds and small animals. —Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin protectus, past participle of protegere, from pro- in front + tegere to cover — more at pro-, thatch

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing protect

• protect one's ass

• protect one's ass

Kids Definition

protect

verb

pro·​tect prə-ˈtekt 

: to cover or shield from something that would destroy or injure : guard

Legal Definition

protect

transitive verb

pro·​tect

1

: to shield from injury or harm

protecting public health and safety

2

: to secure or preserve against encroachment, infringement, restriction, or violation : maintain the status or integrity of especially through legal or constitutional guarantees

protect a work against copyright infringement

the First Amendment protects speech

3

: to restrict competition for (as domestic industries) by means of tariffs or trade controls

protectable adjective

or protectible