defence
23 synonyms and 2 antonyms for defence, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The action of protecting someone or something from attack or harm.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
vindication
demurrer
refutation
defense team
defense force
defence force
defending team
defense lawyers
defense reaction
defence reaction
defense mechanism
defence mechanism
defensive measure
defensive structure
Antonyms
How to use defence
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
line of defence
come to someone's defence
defence lawyer
Etymology
From Old French defens/defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa ("protection"); it replaced the native Old English word bewering.
Full origin of defence →Frequently asked questions
What does “defence” mean?
The word “defence” means the action of protecting someone or something from attack or harm.
How do you pronounce “defence”?
“Defence” is pronounced dih-FEHNS (/dɪˈfɛns/ in IPA).
How do you use “defence” in a sentence?
Here is “defence” used in a sentence: “The castle walls were built for defence against invaders.”
What is the opposite of “defence”?
The opposite of “defence” — its antonyms — are offence and offense.
What part of speech is “defence”?
“Defence” is a noun.
Where does the word “defence” come from?
The word “defence” comes from Late Latin. From Old French defens/defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa ("protection"); it replaced the native Old English word bewering.
Is “defence” a common word?
“Defence” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “defence” have?
“Defence” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the action of protecting someone or something from attack or harm.
What is the difference between defence and defense?
There is no difference in meaning. Defence is the standard British and Commonwealth spelling, while defense is the American spelling. Both refer to protecting someone or something from attack or harm. UK writers use defence; US writers use defense. The same split applies to related forms, though defensive is spelled the same everywhere.
What is the opposite of defence?
The natural opposite is attack or offence, the act of striking rather than protecting. In sport, the defence tries to stop the opposing side from scoring, while the attack or offence tries to score. More broadly, aggression is the counterpart to defence, which is fundamentally a protective, reactive stance.
What are the types of defence?
Defence covers many contexts: military defence protects a nation, self-defence protects a person, and legal defence protects an accused party in court. In sport it means guarding against the opposing team, and in psychology, defence mechanisms shield the mind. Each shares the core idea of guarding against attack or harm.
