View synonyms for defender

defender

[ dih-fen-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a person who defends someone or something from attack, assault, or injury:
We commemorate the brave defenders of this fort.
Law. an attorney for a defendant, especially a public defender:
the systemwide benefits of effective defenders.
a person who supports an argument, theory, thesis, etc., in the face of criticism or challenging questions:
defenders of gay rights.
Sports.
1. a team player whose assigned role is to prevent the other team from scoring:
  On the court, he’s an exceptional defender and a natural leader.
2. a contestant or team that attempts to retain a championship title, rank, etc., in a competition against a challenger:
  Her main rival is the young title defender from Italy.

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; defend ( def ) + -er ²( def )

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