defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Examples of defender in a Sentence

one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Recent Examples on the Web There was a concerning moment in the second half as Messi went down clutching his leg following a heavy challenge from Lukas MacNaughton as the defender made a clearance, but the Argentine eventually got back to his feet after lengthy treatment. Matias Grez, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Known as a lockdown defender, spark plug, and slasher, Folkes has attempted just 19 free throws on the season, connecting on just 37%. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 But the conditions also led to the game’s first goal when a routine back pass from Canadian defender Vanessa Giles simply stopped in the mud, allowing attacker Shaw to race around Giles and put a shot past keeper Kailen Sheridan, her club teammate with the San Diego Wave. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 His 968 snaps were most among all NFL interior defenders last season. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Palmer controlled the ball before playing it off the wall, where Lucas Sousa reached around a defender to tap it in off the far post with just 3.7 seconds remaining. Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 But the de minimis rule also has powerful defenders. Didi Tang, Fortune Asia, 4 Mar. 2024 Aaron Gordon was having his way with Sacramento’s smaller defenders, going 7 of 8 from the floor with 17 points. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 His abilities as a run defender give him a very high floor as a pro. 41. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defender.' 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

Middle English defendour, defender, borrowed from Anglo-French defendour, defendur, from defend-, stem of defendre "to defend" + -our, -ur -or entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of defender was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near defender

Cite this Entry

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (as football) who plays a defensive position

Legal Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er
: a lawyer who represents defendants
especially : public defender

More from Merriam-Webster on defender

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!