defend
//dɪˈfɛnd//
Forms
- present (v1)
- defend
- past (v2)
- defended
- past participle (v3)
- defended
- present participle
- defending
- 3rd person singular
- defends
Definitions
1.To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
2.To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
- Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday defended the code of conduct the Supreme Court created last year, but conceded there needs to be a way to enforce the rules for it to be more effective.
3.To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
- Philip Miles, defending, said: "This was a single instance, there was no allegation of continuing behaviour over a long period of time."
4.To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1666
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
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.