defenses

noun

the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury

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

a structure used to defend against attack

an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack

the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions

the defendant and his legal advisors collectively

the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States

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

the justification for some act or belief

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

protection from harm

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

Roots

fendofens- · Latin · strike, ward off

Synonyms & related words for defenses

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Words related to defenses

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

Where does defenses come from?

The word defenses breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root fens-, from Latin fendo (“strike, ward off”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.