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).

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

2. defendverb

   To prevent, to keep (from doing something).

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

3. defendverb

   To prohibit, forbid.

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

4. defendverb

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

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

5. defendverb

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

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

6. defendverb

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

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

7. defendverb

   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. 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.

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

9. defendverb

   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. 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

   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. Rob Townsend:

   SoftBank will vigorously defend itself against these meritless claims, under the terms of our agreement, which Adam Neumann signed, SoftBank had no obligation to complete the tender offer in which Mr. Neumann -- the biggest beneficiary -- sought to sell nearly $ 1 billion in stock.

2. Benjamin Netanyahu:

   In coming weeks, the powers are liable to reach a framework agreement with Iran, an agreement liable to leave Iran as a nuclear threshold state, as prime minister of Israel, I am obligated to make every effort to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weaponry that will be aimed at the State of Israel. This effort is global and I will go anywhere I am invited to make the State of Israel's case and defend its future and existence.

3. Kevin Cramer:

   President Trump is harder to defend than President Trump is to explain sometimes, i wish President Trump would have been more forceful.

4. Laurent Sourisseau:

   We have drawn Muhammad to defend the principle that one can draw whatever they want.

5. Andrew Pessin Andrew Pessin:

   At this point it feels to me not a matter of assuaging wounded feelings, but a matter of deliberately trying to silence and even threaten pretty much the only Jewish professor on campus who openly advocates for Israel, israel had the right to defend itself from the violence posed to it as an individual would have the right to defend himself from the violence that would be posed to it from a pit bull.

Images & Illustrations of defend

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