self-defence
Britishnoun
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the act of defending oneself, one's actions, ideas, etc
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boxing as a means of defending the person (esp in the phrase noble art of self-defence )
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law the right to defend one's person, family, or property against attack or threat of attack by the use of no more force than is reasonable
Other Word Forms
- self-defensive adjective
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.
Williams' account of "self-defence" simply couldn't be true.
From BBC
It currently handles coastal surveillance and is staffed by some 160 members of Japan's self-defence force.
From BBC
He argued that while Duterte used "bluster and hyperbole" in his speeches, he also frequently ordered authorities only to shoot in self-defence.
From Barron's
The police have always insisted that they only killed in self-defence.
From BBC
The row began in November, when Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan.
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.
