Definitions for defend
dɪˈfɛndde·fend

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

1. defend, support, fend forverb

   argue or speak in defense of

   "She supported the motion to strike"

2. defendverb

   be on the defensive; act against an attack

3. defend, guard, holdverb

   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, defendverb

   fight against or resist strongly

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

5. champion, defendverb

   protect or fight for as a champion

6. defend, representverb

   be the defense counsel for someone in a trial

   "Ms. Smith will represent the defendant"

7. maintain, defendverb

   state or assert

   "He maintained his innocence"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defendverb

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

2. defendverb

   To prevent, to keep (from doing something).

3. defendverb

   To prohibit, forbid.

4. defendverb

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

5. defendverb

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

6. defendverb

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

7. defendverb

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

8. defendverb

   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.

9. defendverb

   To call a raise from the big blind.

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

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To DEFENDverb

   Etymology: defendo, Latin; defendre, French.

   1. To stand in defence of; to protect; to support.

   There arose, to defend Israel, Tola the son of Puah. Judg.

   Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Ps. lix. 1.

   Heav’n defend your souls, that you think
   I will your serious and great business scant. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   2. To vindicate; to uphold; to assert; to maintain.

   The queen on the throne, by God’s assistance, is able to defend herself against all her majesty’s enemies and allies put together. Jonathan Swift, Remarks on the Barrier Treaty.

   3. To fortify; to secure.

   And here th’ access a gloomy grove defends,
   And here th’ unnavigable lake extends. John Dryden, Æneis.

   4. To prohibit; to forbid. [ defendre, French.]

   Where can you say, in any manner, age,
   That ever God defended marriage? Geoffrey Chaucer.

   O sons! like one of us, man is become
   To know both good and evil, since his taste
   Of that defended fruit. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. xi. l. 86.

   The use of it is little practised, and in some places defended by customs or laws. William Temple.

   5. To maintain a place, or cause, against those that attack it.

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

1. Defendverb

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

2. Defendverb

   to prohibit; to forbid

3. Defendverb

   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. Defendverb

   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.

Matched Categories

1. • Back
   • Prevent

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

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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 Barack Obama:

   ISIL will not pose an existential threat to us. They are a dangerous organization like al Qaeda was, but we have hardened our defenses, the American people should feel confident that, you know, we are going to be able to defend ourselves and make sure that, you know, we have a good holiday and go about our lives.

2. Ammar Campa-Najjar:

   His call to action was not to defend his legacy, his call to action is to build on it. And even if we have to undo some of it to go forward, he would be the first one to say go for it, the way forward is keep the spirit of Obama alive, even if his policies and accomplishments are superseded by our own in the future.

3. Future Forward spokeswoman Pannika Wanich:

   This would set a new legal precedent that executive members of a political party must have their thoughts and minds inspected, it's also an unexpected new low that a political party has to defend itself to show it's not involved with the Illuminati.

4. Pedro Perez:

   I don't do it for the prize. I do it out of love for my Venezuelan homeland and to defend it from people who tell the world that we live in a dictatorship.

5. The President:

   Our view is that these actions are necessary to defend this country, and that they are ultimately bullish for Corporate America, for the working men and women of America, and for the global trading system.

Popularity rank by frequency of use