defensive

1 of 2

adjective

de·​fen·​sive di-ˈfen(t)-siv How to pronounce defensive (audio) ˈdē-ˌfen(t)- How to pronounce defensive (audio)
1
: serving to defend or protect
defensive fortifications
2
a
: devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack
defensive behavior
He became defensive when I brought up his spending habits.
b
sports : of or relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest
a player with good defensive skills
made a brilliant defensive play
also : of or relating to a team that is not in possession of the ball or puck
a defensive lineman
3
card games
a
: valuable in defensive play
a defensive card in bridge
b
: designed to keep an opponent from being the highest bidder
a defensive bid
defensively adverb
defensiveness noun

defensive

2 of 2

noun

: a position serving to protect or defend : a defensive position
Phrases
on the defensive
: in the state or condition of being prepared or required to defend against attack or criticism
keeping his political opponent on the defensive

Examples of defensive in a Sentence

Adjective The city began building a defensive wall around its borders. The government decided to join a defensive alliance with several other nations. I was surprised by his defensive reaction to my suggestion. There's no need to get so defensive. I was only making a suggestion. When we asked her about the mistakes, she became defensive. The coach has a strong defensive strategy. Noun their unexpectedly harsh words put him on the defensive
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Homicide detectives on Tuesday arrested Nathaniel Rowland on suspicion of murder after a forensic pathologist concluded the death was a homicide and Rowland’s wife was found to have a defensive hand wound. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Redondo is the son of former Real Madrid and AC Milan great Fernando Redondo, who played defensive midfield, the same position as Federico. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 The defensive highlight showed what Vaz can provide the Royals: speed and versatility. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 With star freshman JuJu Watkins fouling out at the end of regulation, Williams, a 5-foot-7 defensive spark plug who is working back from offseason surgery, played a season-high 26 minutes. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Head coach Steve Clifford, in his second stint with the Hornets, hasn’t been able to make the team a solid defensive squad, which is what he was hired to do. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 Since late January, SDSU (sixth) and UNLV (eighth) both rank in the top 10 nationally in defensive efficiency. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 Russell got a standing ovation from the Crypto.com Arena crowd and his bench when the third 3-pointer (off an assist from James) in the sequence left him sprawled on his back from uncalled defensive contact and the Lakers with a 103-79 lead with 9:06 left. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024 But from there, Arkansas picked up its defensive intensity and controlled the rest of the quarter. Ethan Westerman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
That leaves the noble houses on the defensive, as Paul sends his Fremen legions across the universe to subdue them. Christian Holub, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2024 Biden, who’s been on the defensive over the border for much of his term, will meet with US Border Patrol agents in Brownsville, Texas. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Trump's campaign says Biden's plan to visit the border is a sign that the president is on the defensive over immigration and the issue is a problem for his reelection effort. Seung Min Kim,colleen Long, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2024 And his father, the former NFL defensive back, provided the best response to the snub. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The field is divided into eight phases, four offensive, four defensive. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 There was limited heat when Ripley was on the defensive, probably because fans don’t want to see Rhea sell that much especially in Australia. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 When put on the defensive, just about any bear is tenacious—but so are tigers. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 21 Feb. 2024 Russia’s military has Ukraine on the defensive, taking advantage of an army that is vulnerable after nearly two years of war: short of soldiers, dealing with leadership upheaval and critically low on ammunition. Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defensive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English defensif, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin dēfensīvus, from Latin dēfensus, past participle of dēfendere "to ward off, defend" + -īvus -ive

Noun

Middle English defensif "something acting as protection," borrowed from Medieval Latin dēfensīvum, noun derivative from neuter of dēfensīvus defensive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of defensive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near defensive

Cite this Entry

“Defensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defensive. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

defensive

1 of 2 adjective
de·​fen·​sive di-ˈfen(t)-siv How to pronounce defensive (audio) ˈdē-ˌfen(t)- How to pronounce defensive (audio)
1
: serving or intended to defend or protect
a defensive alliance
2
: resisting or preventing attack
defensive behavior
3
: of or relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest
a player with good defensive skills
defensively adverb
defensiveness noun

defensive

2 of 2 noun
: a defensive position
put on the defensive by an attack

Medical Definition

defensive

adjective
de·​fen·​sive di-ˈfen(t)-siv How to pronounce defensive (audio) ˈdē-ˌ How to pronounce defensive (audio)
1
: serving to defend or protect (as the ego)
face-saving is a common defensive reactionPsychology Today
2
: devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack
defensive behavior
defensively adverb
defensiveness noun

Legal Definition

defensive

adjective
de·​fen·​sive
1
: serving to defend or as part of a defense
a defensive pleading
2
: devoted to resisting or preventing aggressive actions
a defensive recapitalization…to escape a takeover attemptBarbara Franklin
defensively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on defensive

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