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

If Tehran now hurries to make atomic bombs in secret — and if other countries in the region then build their own nukes for self-protection — the tactical triumph of Midnight Hammer will turn into a strategic disaster. —Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025

Shift From Self-Protection To Self-Expansion The key to a mindset that welcomes feedback is shifting from self-protection to self-expansion. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

This can occur even before the leaves die as a measure of self-protection. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 June 2025

But in rigid hierarchies, safety gives way to self-protection. —Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-protection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• disinfection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection