Dictionary

defender en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.

Meanings

1. Someone who defends people or property.
2. One of the players whose primary task is to prevent the opposition from scoring.
3. A fighter who seeks to repel an attack.
4. (rare) A lawyer who represents defendants, especially a public defender; a defense attorney (US) or defence counsel (UK).
   • It puts you at the head of the table, at a right angle to the witness; the court reporter sits to your right, and the defender sits on the witness's far side. 2010, Henry L. Hecht, Effective Depositions, →ISBN, page 243:
   • So, what is contemplated under this model is that the defender would work with civil legal services lawyers to address the clients' needs. 2007, Barry Krisberg, Susan Marchionna, Christopher Baird, Continuing the Struggle for Justice, →ISBN, page 248:
   • 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 the Earliest Period to the Year 1783, page 729:
5. (qualifier:Scots law) A defendant in a civil action.

Forms

Deriveds

defendress · key defender · defendership · defenderless · ear defender · central defender

Synonyms

forefighter · protector

Translations (162)

ga cosantóir (someone who defends) · be абаро́нец (someone who defends) · sq mbrojtës (players) · pt defensor (fighter) · nb forsvarer (someone who defends) · fa-ira حامی (someone who defends) · la tutor (someone who defends) · grc παραστάτης (someone who defends) · cs obránce (players) · cmn 捍衛者 /捍卫者 (someone who defends) · cmn 防守者 (someone who defends) · alt коруучы (someone who defends) · ja 擁護者 (someone who defends) · sh brànīč (players) · he מָגֵן (players) · tg ҳимоятгар (players) · lld pech (players) · nl verdediger (someone who defends) · ar مُدَافِع (players) · ko 디펜더 (players) · fr défenseur (someone who defends) · sv back (players) · pt defensora (someone who defends) · da forsvar (fighter) · hu hátvéd (players) · ar مُدَافِع (someone who defends) · bg защи́тничка (someone who defends) · bg брани́телка (someone who defends) · cs obránkyně (someone who defends) · ar مُنَاصِر (someone who defends) · nl verdedigster (players) · ka მცველი (someone who defends) · nl verdedigster (someone who defends) · ja 防衛者 (someone who defends) · cs obránce (fighter) · da forsvarer (players) · sh бра̀нитељ (someone who defends) · ko 방어자 (someone who defends) · hi रक्षक (someone who defends) · hy պաշտպան (someone who defends) · bg брани́тел (someone who defends) · cmn 後衛 /后卫 (players) · tt саклаучы (someone who defends) · he מָגֵן (someone who defends) · lv aizsargs (players) · ja ディフェンダー (players) · fa مدافع (players) · he מגנה (someone who defends) · sh бранитѐљица (someone who defends) · ko 수비수 (players) · da forsvarer (fighter) · es defensor (someone who defends) · nl verdediger (fighter) · pl obrońca (someone who defends) · ro fundaș (players) · bg защи́тница (someone who defends) · sh бра̀нитељ (fighter) · vi hậu vệ (players) · sh бранитѐљица (fighter) · la dēfensor (someone who defends) · ko 방위자 (someone who defends) · fi puolustaja (someone who defends) · mk бранител (someone who defends) · ur مُحافِظ (someone who defends) · fa-ira مُحافِظ (someone who defends) · de Verteidiger (someone who defends) · ky коргоочу (someone who defends) · et kaitsja (someone who defends) · fa-ira پَدافَنْدْگَر (someone who defends) · ru защи́тница (someone who defends) · ru защи́тник (players) · es defensora (someone who defends) · tr savunucu (players) · sh бе̏к (players) · el υπερασπιστής (someone who defends) · de Verteidiger (players) · sh branitèljica (fighter) · hy պաշտպան (players) · lt gynėjas (someone who defends) · nb forsvarer (players) · mk бранителка (someone who defends) · ko 방어수 (players) · sh brànitelj (someone who defends) · gd cluicheadair-dìon (players) · be абаро́нца (someone who defends) · pt beque (players) · fr défenseur (players) · ro apărător (players) · ro apărătoare (someone who defends) · vi người bảo vệ (someone who defends) · sk obrankyňa (someone who defends) · mn хамгаалагч (someone who defends) · da forsvar (players) · lt gynėja (someone who defends) · uk захисни́ця (someone who defends) · lv aizsardze (players) · sk obranca (players) · gl defensor (someone who defends) · sh branitèljica (someone who defends) · sv försvarare (someone who defends) · tg ҳимоятгар (someone who defends) · pt zagueiro (players) · sw mtetezi (fighter) · hu védő (someone who defends) · sk obranca (someone who defends) · sw mtetezi (players) · nl verdediger (players) · pl obrończyni (someone who defends) · is verjandi (someone who defends) · ru защи́тник (someone who defends) · uz himoya (someone who defends) · az müdafiəçi (someone who defends) · nb forsvarsspiller (players) · it difenditrice (someone who defends) · da forsvarer (someone who defends) · sl branilka (someone who defends) · ro apărător (someone who defends) · sv försvarare (players) · is varnarmaður (players) · ug قوغدىغۇچى (someone who defends) · cs obránce (someone who defends) · sh bȅk (players) · he מגנה (players) · tg мудофиакунанда (someone who defends) · sh бра̀нӣч (players) · kk қорғаушы (someone who defends) · lv aizstāvis (someone who defends) · tg ҳимоякунанда (someone who defends) · ur مُدافِع (someone who defends) · ka დამცველი (someone who defends) · fa-ira مُدافِع (someone who defends) · uz himoyachi (someone who defends) · lv aizstāve (someone who defends) · it difensore (players) · ru защи́тник (fighter) · id bek (players) · fr défenseuse (someone who defends) · pt defensor (someone who defends) · ca defensor (players) · tr savunucu (someone who defends) · mi kaipare (someone who defends) · mi kaiwawao (someone who defends) · uk захисни́к (players) · sh brànitelj (fighter) · nn forsvarsspelar (players) · tg ҳомӣ (someone who defends) · sl branilec (someone who defends) · da forsvar (someone who defends) · pl obrońca (players) · sw mtetezi (someone who defends) · bg защи́тник (someone who defends) · sv försvarare (fighter) · fi puolustaja (players) · it difensore (someone who defends) · sw difenda (players) · sq mbrojtës (someone who defends) · fi puolustaja (fighter) · de Verteidigerin (someone who defends) · bg защи́тник (players) · cmn 辯護人 /辩护人 (someone who defends) · tk goragçy (someone who defends) · uk захисни́к (someone who defends)