defence

English Online Dictionary. What means defence‎? What does defence mean?

English

Alternative forms

• defense (US)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈfɛns/
• Rhymes: -ɛns

Etymology 1

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced Old English bewering.

Noun

defence (countable and uncountable, plural defences) (British spelling)

1. The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
2. Something used to oppose attacks.
3. An argument in support or justification of something.
4. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
5. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
6. Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.

7. (obsolete) Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
   • 1673, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Advancement of Trade in Ireland” in Miscellanea, London: Edw[ard] Gellibrand, 1680, p. 116,^[2]

     […] severe defences may be made against weaving any Linnen under a certain breadth, such as may be of better use to the poorest People […]

Usage notes

• The noun spelling is mainly used in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand; defense is more commonly used in the US.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:defence

Antonyms

• offence (Commonwealth), offense (US)

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English defencen, defensen, from Old French defenser or its etymon, Latin dēfēnsō.

Verb

defence (third-person singular simple present defences, present participle defencing, simple past and past participle defenced)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To furnish with defences; to fortify.

References