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.

synonyms: defence, defensive measure.

Roget 717: defense, protection, guard, ward; shielding etc. v.; propugnation^†, preservation etc. 670; guardianship.    area defense; site defense.    self-defense, self-preservation; resistance etc. 719.    safeguard etc. (safety) 664; balistraria^†; bunker, screen etc. (shelter) 666; camouflage etc. (concealment) 530; fortification; munition, muniment^†; trench, foxhole; bulwark, fosse^†, moat, ditch, entrenchment, intrenchment^†; kila^†; dike, dyke; parapet, sunk fence, embankment, mound, mole, bank, sandbag, revetment; earth work, field-work; fence, wall dead wall, contravallation^†; paling etc. (inclosure) 232; palisade, haha, stockade, stoccado^†, laager^†, sangar^†; barrier, barricade; boom; portcullis, chevaux de frise [Fr.]; abatis, abattis^†, abbatis^†; vallum^†, circumvallation^†, battlement, rampart, scarp; escarp^†, counter-scarp; glacis, casemate^†; vallation^†, vanfos^†.    buttress, abutment; shore etc. (support) 215.    breastwork, banquette, curtain, mantlet^†, bastion, redan^†, ravelin^†; vauntmure^†; advance work, horn work, outwork; barbacan^†, barbican; redoubt; fort-elage [Fr.], fort-alice; lines.    loophole, machicolation^†; sally port.    hold, stronghold, fastness; asylum etc. (refuge) 666; keep, donjon, dungeon, fortress, citadel, capitol, castle; tower of strength, tower of strength; fort, barracoon^†, pah^†, sconce, martello tower^†, peelhouse^†, blockhouse, rath^†; wooden walls.    [body armor] bulletproof vest, armored vest, buffer, corner stone, fender, apron, mask, gauntlet, thimble, carapace, armor, shield, buckler, aegis, breastplate, backplate^†, cowcatcher, face guard, scutum^†, cuirass, habergeon^†, mail, coat of mail, brigandine^†, hauberk, lorication^†, helmet, helm, bassinet, salade^†, heaume^†, morion^†, murrion^†, armet^†, cabaset^†, vizor^†, casquetel^†, siege cap, headpiece, casque, pickelhaube, vambrace^†, shako etc. (dress) 225.    bearskin; panoply; truncheon etc. (weapon) 727.    garrison, picket, piquet; defender, protector; guardian etc. (safety) 664; bodyguard, champion; knight-errant, Paladin; propugner^†.    bulletproof window.    hardened site.    ... show more

Roget 737a: government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority; authority etc. 737; master etc. 745; direction etc. 693.    [nations] national government, nation, state, country, nation-state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic; kingdom, principality.    [subdivisions of nations] state government [Lat.], state; shire [Brit.]; province [Can.]; county [Ire.]; canton [Switz.]; territory [Austral.]; duchy, archduchy, archdukedom^†; woiwodshaft; commonwealth; region etc. 181; property etc. 780.    [smaller subdivisions] county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement [Fr.], mofussil^†, commune; wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth^†, soke^†, tithing; ward, precinct, bailiwick.    command, empire, sway, rule; dominion, domination; sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty; lordship, headship^†; chiefdom^†; seigniory, seigniority^†.    rule, sway, command, control, administer; govern etc. (direct) 693; lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne; sway the scepter, wield the scepter; wear the crown.    state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus [Lat.].    [person in the governing authority] judicature etc. 965; cabinet etc. (council) 696; seat of government, seat of authority; headquarters.    [Acquisition of authority] accession; installation etc. 755; politics etc. 737.1. reign, regime, dynasty; directorship, dictatorship; protectorate, protectorship; caliphate, pashalic^†, electorate; presidency, presidentship^†; administration; proconsul, consulship; prefecture; seneschalship; magistrature^†, magistracy.    monarchy; kinghood^†, kingship; royalty, regality; aristarchy^†, aristocracy; oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy; commonwealth; dominion; heteronomy; republic, republicanism; socialism; collectivism; mob law, mobocracy^†, ochlocracy^†; vox populi, imperium in imperio [Lat.]; bureaucracy; beadledom^†, bumbledom^†; stratocracy; military power, military government, junta; feodality^†, feudal system, feudalism.    thearchy^†, theocracy, dinarchy^†; duarchy^†, triarchy, heterarchy^†; duumvirate; triumvirate; autocracy, autonomy; limited monarchy; constitutional government, constitutional monarchy; home rule; representative government; monocracy^†, pantisocracy^†.    gynarchy^†, gynocracy^†, gynaeocracy^†; petticoat government.    [government functions] legislature, judiciary, administration.    [Government agencies and institutions] office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet; senate, house of representatives, parliament; council etc. 696; courts, supreme court; [U.S. national government departments], state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury; Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI; Central Intelligence Agency, CIA; National Institutes of Health, NIH; Postal Service, Post Office; Federal Aviation Administration, FAA.    [national government officials] president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister; senator, representatative, president pro tem [Lat.], speaker of the house; department head, section head, section chief; federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice; treasurer, secretary of the treasury; director of the FBI.    [state government officials] governor, state cabinet member; state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman.    ... show more

Dutch: verweer, weer
Polish: obrona

Protection from harm:
— Sanitation is the best defense against disease.

synonym: defence.

Dutch: afweer, defensie, verdediging

sports The team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring:
— His teams are always good on defense.

synonyms: defence, defending team.

Dutch: achterhoede, defensie, verdediging
Polish: obrona, defensywa

The justification for some act or belief:
— He offered a persuasive defense of the theory.

synonyms: defence, vindication.

Roget 937: vindication, justification, warrant; exoneration, exculpation; acquittal etc. 970; whitewashing.    extenuation; palliation, palliative; softening, mitigation.    reply, defense; recrimination etc. 938.    apology, gloss, varnish; plea etc. 617; salvo; excuse, extenuating circumstances; allowance, allowance to be made; locus paenitentiae [Lat.].    apologist, vindicator, justifier; defendant etc. 938.    justifiable charge, true bill.    v.. justify, warrant; be an excuse for etc. n.; lend a color, furnish a handle; vindicate; exculpate, disculpate^†; acquit etc. 970; clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash; clear the skirts of.    extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze; put a gloss, put a good face upon; mince; gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile.    advocate, defend, plead one's cause; stand up for, stick up for, speak up for; contend for, speak for; bear out, keep in countenance, support; plead &c., 617; say in defense; plead ignorance; confess and avoid, propugn^†, put in a good word for.    take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to; give one his due, give the Devil his due.    make good; prove the truth of, prove one's case; be justified by the event.    ... show more

Dutch: bewijs
Polish: rehabilitacja

psychiatry An unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires.

synonyms: defence, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense mechanism, defense reaction.

Dutch: afweermechanisme
Polish: mechanizm obronny

The federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States; created in 1947.

synonyms: Defense Department, Department of Defense, DoD, United States Department of Defense.

The defendant and his legal advisors collectively:
— The defense called for a mistrial.

synonyms: defence, defense lawyers, defense team.

Dutch: verdediging

The speech act of answering an attack on your assertions:
— In defense he said the other man started it.

synonyms: defence, refutation.

Polish: obrona

An organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack:
— He joined the defense against invasion.

synonyms: defence, defence force, defense force.

Polish: obrona

A structure used to defend against attack:
— The artillery battered down the defenses.

synonyms: defence, defensive structure.

Dutch: fortificatie, verdedigingswerk, verdedigingswerken, verschansing, versterking
Polish: budowla obronna

A defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him:
— He gave evidence for the defense.

synonyms: defence, demurrer, denial.

Dutch: defensie, verdediging
Polish: obrona

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.

synonym: defence.

Dutch: verdediging
Polish: ujmowanie się, bronienie, stawanie w obronie, proszenie, walczenie, wstawianie się