defend

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈfɛnd/ UK /dɪˈfɛnd/ See IPA manual

Freq #2457

Meanings

1

verb
To protect someone or something from attack or harm.

Soldiers fought bravely to defend the city.
2

verb
To argue or speak in support of someone or something.

She defended her decision in front of the whole committee.
3

verb
To act as the lawyer for an accused person in court.

A well-known attorney agreed to defend the suspect at trial.
4

verb
In sports, to try to stop the other team from scoring.

The whole team dropped back to defend in the final minutes.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to argue or speak in... support

3 verb · to act as the lawyer for an... represent

More beshieldbewardbrood fend guard preserve protect safeguard secure shelter shield ward

Opposites

attack

Word family

Forms defendeddefendingdefendsundefended

Derived forms defendabledefendantdefendeedefenderdefendingdexifymisdefendredefendunderdefend

Related forms defence defense defensive fend fender forfend indulge

Simplified etymology

Defend entered English in the Middle English period from Latin defendere, “ward off” or “guard.” Its shortened form fend arose in Middle English.

Etymology

From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian.

*gʷʰen- Proto-Indo-European defenden Middle English defendre Old French dēfendō Latin *fendō Proto-Italic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# defend

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈfɛnd/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈfɛnd/
**Frequency rank:** 2457

## Meanings
1. To protect someone or something from attack or harm.
2. To argue or speak in support of someone or something.
3. To act as the lawyer for an accused person in court.
4. In sports, to try to stop the other team from scoring.

## Examples
- Soldiers fought bravely to defend the city.
- She defended her decision in front of the whole committee.
- A well-known attorney agreed to defend the suspect at trial.
- The whole team dropped back to defend in the final minutes.

## Synonyms
- beshield
- beward
- brood
- fend
- guard
- preserve
- protect
- safeguard
- secure
- shelter
- shield
- ward

## Antonyms
- attack

## Derived Forms
- defendable
- defendant
- defendee
- defender
- defending
- dexify
- misdefend
- redefend
- underdefend

## Related Forms
- defence
- defense
- defensive
- fend
- fender
- forfend
- indulge

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʷʰen-
- Root: defenden
- Root: defendre
- Root: dēfendō
- Root: *fendō

## Etymology
From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian.

## AI Etymology
defend comes from Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-, Middle English defenden, Old French defendre, Latin dēfendō, Proto-Italic *fendō. Current senses include to protect someone or something from attack or harm and to argue or speak in support of someone or something. English relatives and later formations include defendable, defendant, defendee, defence, defense.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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