What does Defensive mean?
Definitions for Defensive
dɪˈfɛn sɪvde·fen·sive
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word Defensive.
Princeton's WordNet
defensive, defensive attitudeadjective
an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive')
defensiveadjective
intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack
"defensive weapons"; "a defensive stance"
defensive, justificative, justificatoryadjective
attempting to justify or defend in speech or writing
Wiktionary
defensivenoun
A means, attitude or position of defense.
defensiveadjective
Intended for defence; protective
defensiveadjective
Intended to deter attack
defensiveadjective
Performed so as to minimise risk
defensiveadjective
Displaying an inordinate sensitivity to criticism; compare paranoid
defensiveadjective
Of a bowling or fielding tactic designed to prevent the other side from scoring runs.; of a batting tactic designed to prevent being out.
defensiveadjective
pertaining to defense, as opposed to attack.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Defensiveadjective
Etymology: defensif, Fr. from defendens, Latin.
He would not be persuaded by danger to offer any offence, but only to stand upon the best defensive guard he could. Philip Sidney.
My unpreparedness for war, testifies for me, that I am set on the defensive part. Charles I .
Defensive arms lay by, as useless here,
Where massy balls the neighbouring rocks do tear. Edmund Waller.What stood, recoil’d,
Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surpriz’d,
Fled ignominious. John Milton.Defensivenoun
Etymology: from the adjective.
Wars preventive upon just fears, are true defensives, as well as on actual invasions. Francis Bacon, War with Spain.
His majesty, not at all dismayed, resolved to stand upon the defensive only. Edward Hyde, b. viii.
Webster Dictionary
Defensiveadjective
serving to defend or protect; proper for defense; opposed to offensive; as, defensive armor
Defensiveadjective
carried on by resisting attack or aggression; -- opposed to offensive; as, defensive war
Defensiveadjective
in a state or posture of defense
Defensivenoun
that which defends; a safeguard
Etymology: [Cf. F. dfensif.]
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
defensive
A force is said to be on the defensive, or to assume a defensive attitude, when it takes up a position to receive an attack.
British National Corpus
Adjectives Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'Defensive' in Adjectives Frequency: #871
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Defensive in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Defensive in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
Examples of Defensive in a Sentence
Though defensive violence will always be 'a sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men.
We're not going to be defensive. We're going to confront any problems and we're going to deal with them one by one in a proper, fair and appropriate way.
I think what we're going to see through the end of the year is a refocus on oil and commodities, the market is still continuing to want to migrate toward more defensive, more visible earnings-type companies or sectors.
The well-coordinated LAFD defensive operations prevented either of two adjacent businesses from sustaining fire damage.
This decision was taken to create space for our diplomats to negotiate strongly and increasing the prospects for a peaceful solution on the peninsula, at the same time, we maintain a strong collaborative defensive stance to ensure our diplomats continue to negotiate from a position of unquestioned strength.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for Defensive
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- دفاعيArabic
- защитен, отбранителенBulgarian
- obrannýCzech
- defensivGerman
- αμυντικόςGreek
- defensivoSpanish
- puolustusFinnish
- défensifFrench
- védelmiHungarian
- defensifIndonesian
- difensivaItalian
- 防御的なJapanese
- defensusLatin
- defensiefDutch
- obronnyPolish
- defensivaPortuguese
- defensivăRomanian
- оборонительный, защитныйRussian
- defansifTurkish
- دفاعیUrdu
- phòng ngựVietnamese
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