defence
1. (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
• Syn:
defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense
• Topics:
psychiatry, psychopathology, psychological medicine
• Hypernyms:
psychoanalytic process, process, unconscious process
• Hyponyms:
compensation, conversion, denial, displacement, idealization,
idealisation, intellectualization, intellectualisation, isolation, projection, rationalization,
rationalisation, reaction formation, regression, repression
2. (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
- his teams are always good on defense
• Syn:
defense, defending team
• Ant:
offence, offense (for: defense)
• Derivationally related forms:
defend
• Topics:
sport, athletics
• Hypernyms:
team, squad
3. the defendant and his legal advisors collectively
- the defense called for a mistrial
• Syn:
defense, defense team, defense lawyers
• Ant:
prosecution (for: defense)
• Derivationally related forms:
defend
• Hypernyms:
collection, aggregation, accumulation, assemblage
4. an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack
- he joined the defense against invasion
• Syn:
defense, defense force, defence force
• Derivationally related forms:
defend
• Hypernyms:
organization, organisation
• Hyponyms:
bastion
5. 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, defense
• Derivationally related forms:
refute (for: refutation)
• Hypernyms:
answer
• Hyponyms:
confutation, rebuttal
6. the justification for some act or belief
- he offered a persuasive defense of the theory
• Syn:
defense, vindication
• Derivationally related forms:
vindicate (for: vindication), defend
• Hypernyms:
justification
• Hyponyms:
apology, apologia, alibi, excuse, exculpation, self-justification
7. a structure used to defend against attack
- the artillery battered down the defenses
• Syn:
defensive structure, defense
• Hypernyms:
structure, construction
• Hyponyms:
cheval-de-frise, chevaux-de-frise, fortification, munition, fortress,
fort, line of defense, line of defence, outwork, stronghold, fastness
8. a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him
- he gave evidence for the defense
• Syn:
defense, denial, demurrer
• Ant:
prosecution (for: defense)
• Derivationally related forms:
deny (for: denial)
• Topics:
law, jurisprudence
• Hypernyms:
due process, due process of law
• Hyponyms:
entrapment
• Part Holonyms:
trial
9. (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
• Syn:
defense, defensive measure
• Topics:
military, armed forces, armed services, military machine, war machine
• Hypernyms:
military action, action
• Hyponyms:
umbrella, air defense, stand, hasty defense, hasty defence,
deliberate defense, deliberate defence, biological defense, biological defence, biodefense, biodefence,
chemical defense, chemical defence, mining, minelaying, biological warfare defense, biological warfare defence,
BW defense, BW defence
10. protection from harm
- sanitation is the best defense against disease
• Syn:
defense
• Hypernyms:
protection
11. 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
• Syn:
defense
• Hypernyms:
protection
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