defeat

1 of 2

verb

de·​feat di-ˈfēt How to pronounce defeat (audio)
dē-
defeated; defeating; defeats

transitive verb

1
: to win victory over : beat
defeated their archrivals in the championship game
The bill was defeated in the Senate.
2
a
: frustrate sense 2a(1)
defeat a hope
b
law : nullify
defeat an estate
3
obsolete : destroy
… his unkindness may defeat my life …Shakespeare
defeatable adjective

defeat

2 of 2

noun

1
: frustration by nullification or by prevention of success
The bill suffered defeat in the Senate.
2
a
: an overthrow especially of an army in battle
celebrate their defeat of the enemy
b
: the loss of a contest
his first defeat as a professional boxer
3
obsolete : destruction
… upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made.Shakespeare
Choose the Right Synonym for defeat

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of defeat in a Sentence

Verb We must be ready to defeat our enemies in battle. Our candidate defeated him in the last election. She finally found a solution to a problem that had defeated many other researchers. The bill was defeated in the state senate. Scientists from around the world are working to defeat the disease. Noun We weren't prepared for defeat. One small error could make the difference between success and defeat. After several tries we were forced to accept defeat. They celebrated their defeat of the enemy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
There are a variety of parallels, ranging from complaints that British elites were conspiring with the American liberal establishment to drag Washington’s unnecessary war to claims that [British Prime Minister Winston] Churchill and co. were doomed to defeat against the Third Reich. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The last time, in 1956, Republican president Dwight Eisenhower defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson for the second time in a contest that, at least in retrospect, seems gentlemanly. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Oakland Tech’s boys team, fresh off defeating rival Oakland in a regional final, will try to carry the momentum into the Division II state title game on Saturday against Centennial-Bakersfield. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Voters in Virginia think Trump likely to defeat Biden Looking ahead to the general election in November, most Republican primary voters in Virginia think Donald is very likely to defeat Joe Biden. Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 Cotham, an at-large commissioner first elected in 2012, trailed the top three vote-getters throughout the night, becoming the rare Mecklenburg at-large incumbent to be defeated. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 The outcome left lawmakers from Gary, who staunchly opposed the bill, feeling defeated. The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Biden was defeated by previously unknown candidate Jason Palmer, 51 votes to 40. Will Weissert, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 Pargas was reelected to his county commission seat less than six months after the tragedy, defeating three write-in candidates who included Javier Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter Jackie was killed in the massacre. Rachel Clarke, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
The results, announced on Saturday, were an unexpected defeat for equality campaigners and for Leo Varadkar, the taoiseach, or prime minister. Megan Specia, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Having burst onto the boxing scene with a 22-fight unbeaten streak, a defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. and two to Usyk have dented his reputation as a serious title contender. Ben Morse, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The three goals matched the most Mexico has conceded since López took over as coach in September 2022 while the three-goal margin of defeat was the worst since a 3-0 loss to Haiti 20 months ago. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 With opinion polls showing that his Conservative Party, in power since 2010, is heading for one of its biggest ever defeats, the prevailing view is that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will opt to go to the country in the fall, potentially at the same time as the U.S. presidential election. Associated Press, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Their final home game ended Wednesday night with a 67-57 loss to Boston College, their eighth defeat in a row. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The move ends one, but not all, of her court cases related to her 2022 defeat. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Vanni Sartini, Smith’s Vancouver counterpart, served the first of a six-match suspension for comments critical of officiating made during last year’s final Whitecaps playoff defeat. Observer Wire Reports, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2024 The flood of laws in various states emerged following false allegations of voting fraud in the wake of Trump’s 2020 defeat. Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defeat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English defeten, defaiten "to ruin, destroy, nullify," in part verbal derivative of defet "disfigured, null and void (in law)," borrowed from Anglo-French defait, defet, desfet, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, put an end to, destroy, nullify," from de-, des- de- + faire "to do, make," going back to Latin facere; in part borrowed from Anglo-French defeter, derivative of defet — more at fact

Noun

in part noun derivative of defeat entry 1, in part borrowed from Middle French defaite, noun derivative from feminine of defait, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, destroy, kill" — more at defeat entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of defeat was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near defeat

Cite this Entry

“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defeat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

defeat

1 of 2 verb
de·​feat di-ˈfēt How to pronounce defeat (audio)
1
: to destroy the value or effect of
the lawyers defeated the will
2
: to win a victory over
defeated their team
defeatable adjective

defeat

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or an instance of making ineffective by prevention of success
the bill suffered defeat by Congress
the defeat of one's hopes
2
a
: an overthrow of an army in battle
b
: loss of a contest (as by a team)

Legal Definition

defeat

transitive verb
de·​feat
1
a
: to render null
third parties will defeat an attached but “unperfected” security interestJ. J. White and R. S. Summers
b
: to prevent or undo the effectiveness or establishment of
defeat jurisdiction
defendant took stand and defeated intoxication defenseNational Law Journal
2
a
: to prevail over
b
: to thwart the claim of
defeat creditors
an intent to defeat the surviving spouse of his…elective shareTennessee Code Annotated
defeat noun
Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French defait, past participle of defaire to undo, defeat, from Old French deffaire desfaire, from de-, prefix marking reversal of action + faire to do

More from Merriam-Webster on defeat

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