defender
Americannoun
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a person who defends someone or something from attack, assault, or injury.
We commemorate the brave defenders of this fort.
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Law. an attorney for a defendant, especially a public defender.
the systemwide benefits of effective defenders.
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a person who supports an argument, theory, thesis, etc., in the face of criticism or challenging questions.
defenders of gay rights.
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Sports.
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a team player whose assigned role is to prevent the other team from scoring.
On the court, he’s an exceptional defender and a natural leader.
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a contestant or team that attempts to retain a championship title, rank, etc., in a competition against a challenger.
Her main rival is the young title defender from Italy.
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Etymology
Origin of defender
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; defend ( def. ) + -er 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Haggis has its defenders, but it is not, for most Americans, a food you crave under emotional duress.
From Salon
Reese is the self-appointed defender of his family brand, a role that takes many forms.
When the initial verdict dropped last year, environmental defenders rallied around Greenpeace, denouncing the verdict as a chilling attack on climate action around the globe.
From Barron's
Hours later, Ukraine said it had received 1,000 bodies which, "according to prior information from the Russian side, may belong to Ukrainian defenders".
From BBC
The trust that exists between Lammens and his defenders is clear - and there is growing faith from United's supporters too.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
