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defend

B1
UK/dɪˈfɛnd/US/dəˈfɛnd/ or /dɪˈfɛnd/

Neutral to Formal

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Definition

Meaning

To protect someone or something from harm, attack, or criticism.

To speak or write in support of a person, idea, or right; to attempt to retain a title or position in a contest.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Typically involves an active, deliberate effort against a perceived threat. Can be physical, legal, argumentative, or competitive.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Minor spelling differences may appear in derived forms (e.g., defence/defense).

Connotations

Identical core connotations. Slightly higher frequency in American sports journalism.

Frequency

Slightly more frequent in American English corpora, likely due to prominence of legal and sports contexts.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
vigorously defendstrongly defendsuccessfully defendlegally defenddefend a title
medium
attempt to defendhelp defendprepare to defendpublicly defendbravely defend
weak
always defendsimply defendpersonally defendreadily defend

Grammar

Valency Patterns

defend someone/somethingdefend someone/something from/against somethingdefend oneselfdefend a position/thesis

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

safeguardfortifychampionvindicate

Neutral

protectguardshieldsupportuphold

Weak

justifyexplainexcuse

Vocabulary

Antonyms

attackassailcriticizecondemnaccusesurrender

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “defend to the death”
  • “circle the wagons (to defend)”
  • “hold the fort”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Defending market share, brand reputation, or a business decision to stakeholders.

Academic

Defending a thesis or a theoretical position against counterarguments.

Everyday

Defending a friend in an argument or one's personal choices.

Technical

In computing, defending against cyber attacks; in law, defending a client in court.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • The barrister will defend the accused in the Crown Court.
  • He had to defend his dissertation before the review board.
  • The regiment was ordered to defend the coastline.

American English

  • The attorney will defend the client in federal court.
  • She defended her PhD thesis successfully.
  • The team needs to defend their championship title this season.

adverb

British English

  • The proposal was defensibly sound from a legal perspective.

American English

  • She acted defensibly given the circumstances she faced.

adjective

British English

  • The defending counsel made a compelling argument.
  • The defending champion was unexpectedly defeated.

American English

  • The defending attorney objected to the line of questioning.
  • The defending team's strategy was too passive.

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • Dogs often defend their owners.
  • I will defend my little sister.
B1
  • The lawyer defended the man in court.
  • Soldiers must defend their country.
  • Can you defend your opinion?
B2
  • The minister publicly defended the government's controversial policy.
  • The castle was built to defend against invaders from the sea.
  • She vigorously defended her research methodology.
C1
  • The essay seeks to defend the Aristotelian conception of virtue against modern critiques.
  • Their legal team is poised to defend the company against the class-action lawsuit.
  • He mounted a spirited defence of intellectual freedom in his address.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a FENCE you build to DEFEND your property. DE-FEND.

Conceptual Metaphor

ARGUMENT IS WAR (defend a position), PROTECTION IS A SHIELD.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Not interchangeable with 'защищать' in all contexts (e.g., 'defend a goal' in sports is 'охранять ворота'). Be careful with legal phrases: 'defend in court' = 'защищать в суде', not 'отстаивать'. The noun form 'defence/defense' requires careful spelling choice.

Common Mistakes

  • Incorrect preposition: 'defend against' (threat), 'defend from' (harm). Confusing 'defend' with 'pretend'. Incorrect: 'I will defend my exams.' Correct: 'I will prepare for my exams.'

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
It is a lawyer's duty to their client to the best of their ability.
Multiple Choice

In which sentence is 'defend' used INCORRECTLY?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

'Defend' implies an active response to an imminent threat or criticism. 'Protect' is broader, often involving preventive measures. 'Guard' suggests a vigilant, watchful presence to prevent attack or danger.

Yes, very commonly. It means to protect one's goal, territory, or title from an opponent (e.g., 'defend the goal', 'the defending champions').

Both are correct and often interchangeable. Slight nuance: 'defend against an attack/attacker', 'defend from harm/danger'. 'Against' highlights the opposing force, 'from' highlights the negative consequence.

The noun is 'defence' in British English and 'defense' in American English. Both are pronounced /dɪˈfɛns/.

Explore

Related Words

contendfightguardholdmaintainopposepreservepreventresistsafeguardsecureshielduphold