self-defense

noun

self-de·​fense ˌself-di-ˈfen(t)s 

1

: a plea of justification for the use of force or for homicide

2

: the act of defending oneself, one's property, or a close relative

Examples of self-defense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So, that's unconditional aid for Israel’s self-defense, for self-defense? KHANNA: Self-defense and any aid needs to be consistent with the Leahy Law that the State Department needs to enforce, which is that nothing should violate international human rights law. —ABC News, 26 Nov. 2023

Johnny stabs Bob in self-defense, ultimately killing him. —Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023

In their 1986 study, Social Ecology and Behavior of Coyotes, Marc Bekoff and Michael C. Wells argued that the pack is established more for self-defense and strength in numbers than for hunting purposes. —Hampton Bourne, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2023

Later, after riot police used truncheons and tear gas to disperse the people, demonstrators set up tent camps with barricades, self-defense units, and banners with revolutionary slogans. —Hanna Arhirova, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 2023

The push was a spontaneous act of self-defense, Brian said. —Eli Saslow Erin Schaff, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023

The judge noted the jury rejected a self-defense argument in convicting him of murder and said she was troubled by the varying accounts Koehl offered police over the years. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023

The review lays bare how the AR-15, a weapon that has soared in popularity over the past two decades as a beloved tool for hunting, target practice and self-defense, has also given assailants the power to instantly turn everyday American gathering places into zones of gruesome violence. —Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023

This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates. —Greg Norman, Fox News, 9 Nov. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

self-defense

noun

self-de·​fense

ˌself-di-ˈfen(t)s

: the act of defending oneself, one's property, or a close relative

Legal Definition

self-defense

noun

self-de·​fense

ˈself-di-ˈfens

1

: the use of force to defend oneself

2

: an affirmative defense (as to a murder charge) alleging that the defendant used force necessarily to protect himself or herself because of a reasonable belief that the other party intended to inflict great bodily harm or death see also justification sense 2