- defend
- [[t]dɪfe̱nd[/t]]
♦♦defends, defending, defended1) VERB If you defend someone or something, you take action in order to protect them.
[V n] Every man who could fight was now committed to defend the ridge...
[V n] His courage in defending religious and civil rights inspired many outside the church...
[V pron-refl] They would have killed him if he had not defended himself...
[V pron-refl against n] In 1991 he and his friends defended themselves against some white racist thugs who set upon them for no other reason than their skin colour. [Also V n against n]
2) VERB If you defend someone or something when they have been criticized, you argue in support of them.[V n] Clarence's move was unpopular, but Matt had to defend it, like he defended all of Clarence's decisions, right or wrong...
[V pron-refl against n] The author defends herself against charges of racism by noting that blacks are only one of her targets...
[V n against n] Police chiefs strongly defended police conduct against a wave of criticism. [Also V pron-refl]
3) VERB When a lawyer defends a person who has been accused of something, the lawyer argues on their behalf in a court of law that the charges are not true.[V n] ...a lawyer who defended political prisoners during the military regime...
[V n against n] He has hired a lawyer to defend him against the allegations...
Guy Powell, defending, told London's Marlborough Street magistrates: `It's a sad and disturbing case.'
4) VERB When a sports player plays in the tournament which they won the previous time it was held, you can say that they are defending their title. [JOURNALISM][V n] Torrence expects to defend her title successfully in the next Olympics...
[V-ing] India had to struggle to beat defending champions South Korea 2-0.
English dictionary. 2008.