defensive

1 of 2

adjective

de·​fen·​sive di-ˈfen(t)-siv  ˈdē-ˌfen(t)- 

1

: serving to defend or protect

defensive fortifications

2

a

: 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

also : of or relating to a team that is not in possession of the ball or puck

a defensive lineman

3

card games

a

: valuable in defensive play

a defensive card in bridge

b

: designed to keep an opponent from being the highest bidder

a defensive bid

defensively adverb

defensiveness noun

defensive

2 of 2

noun

: a position serving to protect or defend : a defensive position

Phrases

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• protective
• self-protective

Noun

• guard

Example Sentences

Adjective

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.

Noun

their unexpectedly harsh words put him on the defensive

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Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Riley Greene made one of the best defensive plays of the season Sunday for the Detroit Tigers. —Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press, 28 May 2023

On Saturday, Roberts’ gamble on Rojas — who has been on an upswing lately with his bat and defensive play — paid off. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2023

Fortunately for Heritage, Hall made a strategic adjustment, and her first baseman Natalie Lopez made a huge defensive play to give Heritage its biggest win in program history. —Greg Riddle, Dallas News, 27 May 2023

Sororities were originally built as defensive measures. —Vulture, 25 May 2023

Withrow defensive back Terhyon Nichols released his final six schools on Twitter Wednesday. —Shelby Dermer, The Enquirer, 25 May 2023

Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney was also suspended indefinitely and will miss at least 2023. —Safid Deen, USA TODAY, 25 May 2023

Some Russian officials and bloggers claimed the attack was meant to distract from Russian success in Bakhmut, but others warned that the anti-Kremlin partisans appeared to easily penetrate Russia's first line of defensive fortifications. —Peter Weber, The Week, 23 May 2023

David Turner, currently the defensive line coach at Mississippi State, coached that position for the Gators from 2019 through 2021. —Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2023

Noun

Target is on the defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products. —Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023

Even more were protective of D’Elia, mocking Anderson’s pedigree, doubting the women’s stories, and going on the defensive for their favorite comedian. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2023

Short of actually building Trump’s phantom wall, there is no plausible way for Biden to avoid being permanently on the defensive on immigration. —Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 10 May 2023

Mid, here, became a dog whistle for conservative, and viewers were on the defensive. —Kaitlyn Greenidge, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 May 2023

This week’s vote by House Republicans to couple deep spending cuts with an agreement to raise the debt limit for one year has put President Biden on the defensive, forcing him to confront a series of potentially painful choices at a perilous economic moment. —Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2023

The mixed reaction put attorneys for Dominion on the defensive during their post-trial interviews after the settlement was announced. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2023

The three counties found themselves on the defensive against another blow to California’s troubled cannabis market. —Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 14 Apr. 2023

Ramsey will be the fourth defensive back in NFL history to be a first-team All-Pro at least three times before turning 30 years old who played for at least three teams in that time, ESPN Stats and Information reported. —Mark Inabinett | [e-mail], al, 13 Mar. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English defensif, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin dēfensīvus, from Latin dēfensus, past participle of dēfendere "to ward off, defend" + -īvus -ive

Noun

Middle English defensif "something acting as protection," borrowed from Medieval Latin dēfensīvum, noun derivative from neuter of dēfensīvus defensive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1585, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing defensive

• defensive medicine
• self-defensive
• on the defensive

• defensive medicine
• self-defensive
• on the defensive

Kids Definition

defensive

1 of 2 adjective

de·​fen·​sive di-ˈfen(t)-siv  ˈdē-ˌfen(t)- 

1

: serving or intended to defend or protect

a defensive alliance

2

: resisting or preventing attack

defensive behavior

3

: of or relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest

a player with good defensive skills

defensively adverb

defensiveness noun

defensive

2 of 2 noun

: a defensive position

put on the defensive by an attack

Medical Definition

defensive

adjective

de·​fen·​sive di-ˈfen(t)-siv  ˈdē-ˌ 

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 adverb

defensiveness noun

Legal Definition

defensive

adjective

de·​fen·​sive

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 adverb