de·fense /dɪˈfɛns/
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"
synset: defense, defence, defensive_measure
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"
synset: defense, defence, defending_team
4. the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory"
synset: defense, defence, vindication
5. (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
synset: defense_mechanism, defense_reaction, defence_mechanism, defence_reaction, defense, defence
6. the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States; created in 1947
synset: Department_of_Defense, Defense_Department, United_States_Department_of_Defense, Defense, DoD
7. the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial"
synset: defense, defence, defense_team, defense_lawyers
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"
synset: refutation, defense, defence
9. an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion"
synset: defense, defence, defense_force, defence_force
10. a structure used to defend against attack; "the artillery battered down the defenses"
synset: defensive_structure, defense, defence
11. a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense"
synset: defense, defence, denial, demurrer
antonym: prosecution, 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"
Princeton University "About WordNet." WordNet. Princeton University. 2010.
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