self-protection

noun

self-pro·​tec·​tion ˌself-prə-ˈtek-shən 

plural self-protections

: the act of protecting oneself, one's property, or one's group : self-defense

kept a bat under the bed for self-protection

… found that conflict-affected communities often develop sophisticated self-protection strategies …

—Lisa Fuller

GEMINI … A painful past makes you guard your feelings, but such self-protection can lead to isolation and missed opportunities.

—Harper's Bazaar

—sometimes used before another noun

self-protection techniques

a self-protection seminar

Examples of self-protection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So not being the lead in the show is an act of self-protection in a way? —Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024

But public health officials and people with health concerns argue that masks remain essential tools of self-protection. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 7 July 2024

The group’s goal was to avoid leaning too much on any single approach to piracy, and instead work along parallel tracks, making simultaneous use of naval operations, prosecutions, capacity building, and industry self-protection (using both technology and armed guards). —Conor Seyle, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2015

For one thing, all those extra tokens and trinkets make self-protection — the least interesting of all the necessary Survivor skills — the one that matters most. —Mark Harris, Vulture, 4 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above