Definitions for defend
dɪˈfɛndde·fend

Princeton's WordNet(2.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defend, support, fend for(verb)

   argue or speak in defense of

   "She supported the motion to strike"

2. defend(verb)

   be on the defensive; act against an attack

3. defend, guard, hold(verb)

   protect against a challenge or attack

   "Hold that position behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks"

4. fight, oppose, fight back, fight down, defend(verb)

   fight against or resist strongly

   "The senator said he would oppose the bill"; "Don't fight it!"

5. champion, defend(verb)

   protect or fight for as a champion

6. defend, represent(verb)

   be the defense counsel for someone in a trial

   "Ms. Smith will represent the defendant"

7. maintain, defend(verb)

   state or assert

   "He maintained his innocence"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defend(Verb)

   To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

2. defend(Verb)

   To prevent, to keep (from doing something).

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

3. defend(Verb)

   To prohibit, forbid.

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

4. defend(Verb)

   To ward off attacks from; to fight to protect; to guard.

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

5. defend(Verb)

   To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

6. defend(Verb)

   To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

7. defend(Verb)

   To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

8. defend(Verb)

   To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

9. defend(Verb)

   To call a raise from the big blind.

   Etymology: defenden, from deffendre (Modern: défendre), from defendo.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Defend(verb)

   to ward or fend off; to drive back or away; to repel

2. Defend(verb)

   to prohibit; to forbid

3. Defend(verb)

   to repel danger or harm from; to protect; to secure against; attack; to maintain against force or argument; to uphold; to guard; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause; to defend character; to defend the absent; -- sometimes followed by from or against; as, to defend one's self from, or against, one's enemies

4. Defend(verb)

   to deny the right of the plaintiff in regard to (the suit, or the wrong charged); to oppose or resist, as a claim at law; to contest, as a suit

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Defend

   de-fend′, v.t. to keep off anything hurtful: to guard or protect: to maintain against attack: (obs.) to prohibit, forbid: (law) to resist, as a claim: to contest.—adj. Defend′able, that may be defended.—ns. Defend′ant, a defender: (law) a person accused or sued; Defendee′, one who is defended; Defend′er; Defen′sative, a protection; Defensibil′ity.—adjs. Defens′ible, that may be defended; Defens′ive, Defen′sory, serving to defend: in a state or posture of defence.—n. that which defends: posture of defence.—adv. Defens′ively.—Defender of the Faith, a title borne by the sovereigns of England since Henry VIII., on whom it was conferred in 1521 for his book against Luther.—Be on the defensive, to be in the position to defend one's self. [L. defendĕre, defensum, to ward off—de, off, and obs. fendĕre, to strike.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defend

   To secure against attack; to maintain; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defend' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4428

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defend' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4612

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defend' in Verbs Frequency: #456

Anagrams for defend »

1. fended

How to pronounce defend?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say defend in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of defend in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of defend in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of defend in a Sentence

1. President John McNesby:

   Our police officers are being vilified for doing their job and keeping the community safe, after being confronted by a man with a knife. We support and defend these officers, as they too are traumatized by being involved in a fatal shooting, we ask the public for its patience as investigators work to gather all the facts of this tragic incident in West Philadelphia. Our thoughts and prayers are with these police officers who had to use lethal force to keep themselves and the community safe.

2. Zev Elkin:

   When you see what happened in Paris, and what is happening over here, you realize that a democracy that cannot defend itself will find it much harder to prevail.

3. Anthony Atamanuik:

   You can toss out the names of the worst people in history, and she’ll happily defend them.

4. Jay Fant:

   I just can’t imagine that Nikolas Cruz can commit such a heinous crime and then as a result we tell, potentially, a 20-year-old single mother living alone that she cannot purchase a firearm to defend herself.

5. Ted Cruz:

   If Donald Trump is afraid to defend Donald Trump record, it speaks volumes.

Images & Illustrations of defend

Popularity rank by frequency of use