Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fense       (dĭ-fěns')  Pronunciation Key  n.   The act of defending against attack, danger, or injury. A means or method of defending or protecting. Sports The act or an instance of defending a championship against a challenger: will box in his third defense of his title. An argument in support or justification of something. See Synonyms at apology. Law The action of the defendant in opposition to complaints against him or her. The defendant and his or her legal counsel. Means or tactics used in trying to stop the opposition from scoring. The team or those players on the team attempting to stop the opposition from scoring. The science or art of defending oneself; self-defense. often (dē'fěns') Sports Means or tactics used in trying to stop the opposition from scoring. The team or those players on the team attempting to stop the opposition from scoring. The military, governmental, and industrial complex, especially as it authorizes and manages weaponry production. tr.v.   de·fensed, de·fens·ing, de·fens·es Sports To attempt to stop (the opposition) from scoring. To play defense against (an opponent); guard. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dēfēnsa, from feminine past participle of dēfendere, to ward off; see defend.] de·fense'less adj., de·fense'less·ly adv., de·fense'less·ness n.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
defense 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

defense
noun
1.	(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program"
2.	protection from harm; "sanitation is the best defense against disease"
3.	(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense" [ant: offence]
4.	the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory"
5.	(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires [syn: defense mechanism]
6.	the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States; created in 1947 [syn: Department of Defense]
7.	the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial" [ant: prosecution]
8.	the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it" [syn: refutation]
9.	an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion"
10.	a structure used to defend against attack; "the artillery battered down the defenses" [syn: defensive structure]
11.	a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense" [ant: criminal prosecution]
12.	the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury; "a good boxer needs a good defense"; "defense against hurricanes is an urgent problem"

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

defense de·fense (dĭ-fěns')
n.
A means or method that helps protect the body or mind, as against disease or anxiety.

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de·fen'sive (-fěn'sĭv) adj.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: de·fense
Pronunciation: di-'fens, 'dE-"fens
Function: noun
1 : the act or action of defending —see also SELF-DEFENSE
2 a : the theory or ground that forms the basis for a defendant's opposition to an allegation in a complaint or to a charge in a charging instrument (as an indictment); also : the evidence and arguments presented supporting the defendant's opposition —see also ACCORD, ALIBI, ASSUMPTION OF RISK, COERCION, CONSENT contributory negligence at NEGLIGENCE, DENIAL, DIMINISHED CAPACITY, DURESS, ENTRAPMENT, ESTOPPEL, FRAUD, INFANCY, INSANITY, INTOXICATION, LACHES, MISTAKE, NECESSITY, RES JUDICATA, STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

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absolute defense
: COMPLETE DEFENSE in this entry

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af·fir·ma·tive defense
: a defense that does not deny the truth of the allegations against the defendant but gives some other reason (as insanity, assumption of risk, or expiration of the statute of limitations) why the defendant cannot be held liable
NOTE: The defendant bears the burden of proof as to affirmative defenses.

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choice of evils defense
: a defense to a criminal charge based on the assertion that the criminal act was committed to avoid the commission of an even greater evil called also lesser evils defense
NOTE: In jurisdictions that recognize the choice of evils defense, it encompasses both of the older defenses of duress and necessity.

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complete defense
: a defense that shields the defendant from any liability and bars any recovery by the plaintiff —compare PARTIAL DEFENSE in this entry

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lesser evils defense
: CHOICE OF EVILS DEFENSE in this entry

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meritorious defense
: a defense that is based on evidence sufficient to warrant setting aside a default judgment against the defendant in civil litigation

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partial defense
: a defense by which the defendant reduces the amount of damages of which he or she is liable —compare COMPLETE DEFENSE in this entry b : a basis upon which an obligor of a negotiable instrument may avoid liability under the instrument

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personal defense
: a defense of an obligor under a negotiable instrument that can be asserted against anyone but a holder in due course

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real defense
: a defense of an obligor of a negotiable instrument that may be asserted even against a holder in due course
NOTE: Section 3-305(a)(1) of the Uniform Commercial Code sets out the real defenses as infancy, duress, lack of legal capacity, illegality of the transaction, fraud in the factum, and discharge of the obligor by a bankruptcy court. By exclusion, all other defenses are personal defenses.
3 : the defending side in a legal proceeding defense rests> —compare PROSECUTION

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defense

De*fense"\, Defence \De*fence"\, n. [F. d['e]fense, OF. defense, fem., defens, masc., fr. L. defensa (cf. LL. defensum), from defendere. See Defend, and cf. Fence.]

1. The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger.

In cases of defense 't is best to weigh The enemy more mighty than he seems. --Shak.

2. That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection.

War would arise in defense of the right. --Tennyson.

God, the widow's champion and defense. --Shak.

3. Protecting plea; vindication; justification.

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense. --Acts xxii. 1.

4. (Law) The defendant's answer or plea; an opposing or denial of the truth or validity of the plaintiff's or prosecutor's case; the method of proceeding adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff's action.

5. Act or skill in making defense; defensive plan or policy; practice in self defense, as in fencing, boxing, etc.

A man of great defense. --Spenser.

By how much defense is better than no skill. --Shak.

6. Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance. [Obs.]

Severe defenses . . . against wearing any linen under a certain breadth. --Sir W. Temple.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defense

De*fense"\, v. t. To furnish with defenses; to fortify. [Obs.] [Written also defence.]

Better manned and more strongly defensed. --Hales.