defence

noun

the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury

protection from harm

(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies

a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him

a structure used to defend against attack

the justification for some act or belief

the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions

an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack

the defendant and his legal advisors collectively

(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring

(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

Roots

dede- · Latin · away, off fenderefence- · Latin · to strike, ward off

Synonyms & related words for defence

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Words related to defence

Explore words related to defence — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include defense, nondefense, defensive, propugnation, defenders, defensively, demurrer, defending. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does defence come from?

The word defence breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: de-, from Latin de (“away, off”); and fence, from Latin fendere (“to strike, ward off”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.