defence
word
/dɪˈfɛns/
di-FENS
/dɪˈfɛns/
di-FENS
Definition
Defence is protection against attack, danger, or criticism. It can also mean the act of supporting someone or something, or the players in a sport whose job is to stop the other team from scoring.
Usage & Nuances
British spelling is 'defence'; American English uses 'defense'. Common patterns: 'in defence of', 'self-defence', 'national defence', and in sports 'play good defence'. In legal contexts, 'the defence' means the side arguing against the accusation.
Spanish: defensaPortuguese (BR): defesaPortuguese (PT): defesaChinese (Simplified): 防御 - 辩护Chinese (Traditional): 防禦 - 辯護Hindi: रक्षा - बचावArabic: دفاعBengali: রক্ষা - প্রতিরক্ষা - আত্মরক্ষা (নিরাপত্তা)Russian: защита - оборонаJapanese: 防御 - 守備Vietnamese: phòng thủ - bảo vệKorean: 방어 - 수비Turkish: savunma - müdafaaUrdu: دفاعIndonesian: pertahanan - pembelaan
Example Sentences
The wall was built for defence.
basic
The defence asked the court to dismiss the case.
natural
She spoke in defence of her friend.
basic
Our team has a strong defence.
basic
He said it was self-defence, not an attack.
natural
In defence of the plan, it could save us a lot of money.
natural