defence
dih-FEHNS
Also spelled defense (US spelling)
Defence (noun) means the action of protecting someone or something from attack or harm. Example: “The castle walls were built for defence against invaders.”
noun
1
The action of protecting someone or something from attack or harm.
"The castle walls were built for defence against invaders."
"She spoke in defence of her colleague."
"The goalkeeper's brave defence of the net earned her team a point."
2
In sport, the players or tactics focused on stopping the opposing team from scoring.
"Their defence held firm for the entire second half."
"The coach spent the whole week training his defence to mark the opposing strikers."
"Our defence was so strong that the other side barely had a shot."
3
In law, the case or argument presented on behalf of the accused.
"The defence called three witnesses to the stand."
"In her closing speech, the defence argued that the evidence was unreliable."
"The defence lawyer asked the court for more time to prepare."
How to use defence
Learner’s notes
UK vs US
British English spells this "defence"; American English uses "defense." Both are pronounced the same.
Common pairings
line of defence
come to someone's defence
defence lawyer
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Word forms
- Plural
- defences
- Third person singular
- defences
- Past tense
- defenced
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The castle walls were built for _____ against invaders.
Etymology
From Old French defens/defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa ("protection"); it replaced the native Old English word bewering.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for defence
See all rhymes for 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.
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