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Noun: defence  di'fen(t)s
Usage: Brit, Cdn (US: defense)
  1. (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
    "they died in the defence of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defence program"; "they died in the defence of Stalingrad";
    - defense [US], defensive measure
  2. Protection from harm
    "sanitation is the best defence against disease";
    - defense [US]
  3. (sport) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
    "his teams are always good on defence";
    - defense [US], defending team
  4. The justification for some act or belief
    "he offered a persuasive defence of the theory";
    - defense [US], vindication, account
    - defense mechanism [US], defense reaction [US], defence mechanism [Brit, Cdn], defence reaction [Brit, Cdn], defense [US]
  6. The defendant and his legal advisors collectively
    "the defence called for a mistrial";
    - defense [US], defense team [US], defense lawyers [US], defence team [Brit, Cdn], defence lawyers [Brit, Cdn]
  7. The speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
    "in defence he said the other man started it"; "his defence of the charges was short and persuasive";
    - refutation, defense [US]
  8. An organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack
    "he joined the defence against invasion";
    - defense [US], defense force [US], defence force [Brit, Cdn]
  9. A structure used to defend against attack
    "the artillery battered down the defences";
    - defensive structure, defense [US]
  10. (law) a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him
    "he gave evidence for the defence";
    - defense [US], denial, demurrer
  11. The act of defending someone or something against attack or injury
    "a good boxer needs a good defence"; "defence against hurricanes is an urgent problem";
    - defense [US]

Derived forms: defences

Type of: accumulation, action, aggregation, answer, assemblage, collection, construction, due process, due process of law, justification, military action, organisation [Brit], organization, process, protection, psychoanalytic process, squad, structure, team, unconscious process

Antonym: offence [Brit, Cdn]

Part of: trial

Encyclopedia: Defence, Lahore