defence

C2+

US /dɪˈfɛns/ UK /dɪˈfɛns/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like defense /ɪ/ vs /iː/

Meanings

1

noun
the action of protecting against attack; a means of resistance

The castle's thick walls were its first defence against invaders.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the action of protecting... protection guard shield resistance safeguard bulwark fortification

Opposites

attack offence assault aggression

Word family

Derived forms defencelessdefenceman

Related forms defend defensive defendant fence

Simplified etymology

Defence is a Middle English word derived ultimately from Latin defendere, meaning “ward off” or “guard.” The shortened form fence developed from it during the same period.

Etymology

From Old French defens, defense, from Latin defensa ('a defending'), from defendere ('to ward off'), from de- ('away') + -fendere ('to strike'). British spelling of defense.

defensa Latin defendere Latin *gʷʰen- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

External links

# defence

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈfɛns/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈfɛns/

## Meanings
1. the action of protecting against attack; a means of resistance

## Examples
- The castle's thick walls were its first defence against invaders.

## Synonyms
- protection
- guard
- shield
- resistance
- safeguard
- bulwark
- fortification

## Antonyms
- attack
- offence
- assault
- aggression

## Derived Forms
- defenceless
- defenceman

## Related Forms
- defend
- defensive
- defendant
- fence

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: defensa
- Root: defendere
- Root: *gʷʰen-

## Etymology
From Old French defens, defense, from Latin defensa ('a defending'), from defendere ('to ward off'), from de- ('away') + -fendere ('to strike'). British spelling of defense.

## AI Etymology
Defence comes from Old French defens, defense, from Latin defensa ('a defending'), from defendere ('to ward off'), from de- ('away') + -fendere ('to strike'). British spelling of defense. The etymological trail includes Latin defensa, Latin defendere, and Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. As a noun, defence names the action of protecting against attack; a means of resistance. The same family is visible in derived forms such as defenceless and defenceman and related forms such as defend, defensive, defendant, and fence. The analysis is partly morphological, with the modern form built from the elements named in the history.

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