defender

noun

di-FEN-dur/dɪˈfɛndɚ/UKdi-FEN-duh/dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/

Pluraldefenders

5 meanings of defender

1
nouncountable
A person who keeps people or things safe from harm or attack.
Like a guard dog that keeps watch over a home.
The dog became the family's loyal defender at night.
Firefighters are the town's defenders against wildfires.
Similarprotector, guardian, champion, guard
Oppositeattacker, aggressor, assailant
Note
2
nouncountable
A player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring.
Like a wall standing in front of the goal to block shots.
The defender blocked the shot before it reached the net.
Good defenders stay between the ball and their own goal.
Oppositeattacker, forward
Note
3
nouncountable
A fighter who tries to push back people who attack.
Like a guard who blocks the door to keep attackers out.
The defender held the gate while the others escaped.
The town's defenders fought off the raiders at dawn.
Similarprotector
Oppositeattacker, assailant, invader
4
nouncountable
The person who is being sued in a civil court case in Scotland.
The defender denied owing any money to the company.
Both defenders failed to appear in court that day.
Similardefendant
Oppositepursuer
Note

Less common meaning

5
nounrarecountable
A lawyer who speaks for the person being charged or sued in court.
The defender asked the judge for more time to prepare.
There was another protection to which she was intitled by that law, namely, a defender; but she had none.
1822, Thomas Bayly Howell, A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason and Other Crimes and Misdemeanors from…Here, defender means a lawyer who speaks for a person accused of a crime.
Oppositeprosecutor
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English, coming partly from Old French and partly from the verb 'defend' plus '-er'.