Advertisement
Advertisement
defence
[ dih-fens ]
defence
/ ɪˈɛԲ /
noun
- resistance against danger, attack, or harm; protection
- a person or thing that provides such resistance
- a plea, essay, speech, etc, in support of something; vindication; justification
- a country's military measures or resources
- ( as modifier )
defence spending
- law a defendant's denial of the truth of the allegations or charge against him
- law the defendant and his legal advisers collectively Compare prosecution
- sport
- the action of protecting oneself, one's goal, or one's allotted part of the playing area against an opponent's attacks
- the method of doing this
- the players in a team whose function is to do this
- American football usually preceded by the
- the team that does not have possession of the ball
- the members of a team that play in such circumstances
- psychoanal See defence mechanism
- plural fortifications
Derived Forms
- ˈڱԳ, adverb
- ˈڱԳ, adjective
- ˈڱԳness, noun
Other Word Forms
- ·ڱԳa· adjective
- ·ڱԳl adjective
- ·ڱԳl·ly adverb
- ·ڱԳl·ness noun
- d·ڱԳ noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of defence1
Compare Meanings
How does defence compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty and her defence team says she "panicked" after unintentionally serving poison to family members she loved.
In response, the government pointed to its investment in flood defences, but acknowledged more work was needed.
Turkey's military expansion in Iraqi Kurdistan - fuelled by its rise as a drone power and growing defence budget - is seen as part of a broader foreign policy shift towards greater interventionism in the region.
It also argues for a greater focus on climate change mitigation measures such as flood defences and a new international push to persuade China and India to cut emissions.
He added that Mr Mears had killed Catherine Flynn "brutally", but said they would endeavour to prove that the defence of diminished responsibility applies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse