Defense

n.	1.	The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger. In cases of defense 't is best to weigh The enemy more mighty than he seems. - Shak.
	2.	That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection. War would arise in defense of the right. - Tennyson. God, the widow's champion and defense. - Shak.
	3.	Protecting plea; vindication; justification. Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense. - Acts xxii. 1.
	4.	(Law) The defendant's answer or plea; an opposing or denial of the truth or validity of the plaintiff's or prosecutor's case; the method of proceeding adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff's action.
	5.	Act or skill in making defense; defensive plan or policy; practice in self defense, as in fencing, boxing, etc. A man of great defense. - Spenser. By how much defense is better than no skill. - Shak.
	6.	Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance. Severe defenses . . . against wearing any linen under a certain breadth. - Sir W. Temple.
v. t.	1.	To furnish with defenses; to fortify. Better manned and more strongly defensed. - Hales.

Noun	1.	defense - (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense" Synonyms: defending team, defence Antonyms: offence, offense - the team that has the ball (or puck) and is trying to score
	2.	defense - military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program" Synonyms: defensive measure, defence
	3.	defense - the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial" Synonyms: defense lawyers, defense team, defence Antonyms: prosecution - the lawyers acting for the state to put the case against the defendant
	4.	defense - protection from harm; "sanitation is the best defense against disease" Synonyms: defence
	5.	defense - a structure used for defense; "the artillery battered down the defenses" Synonyms: defensive structure, defence
	6.	defense - 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" Synonyms: refutation, defence
	7.	defense - the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory" Synonyms: vindication, defence
	8.	defense - a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense" Synonyms: demurrer, denial, defence Antonyms: criminal prosecution, prosecution - the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior
	9.	defense - an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion" Synonyms: defence force, defense force, defence
	10.	Defense - the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the UnitedStates; created in 1947 Synonyms: Defense Department, Department of Defense, DoD, United States Department of Defense
	11.	defense - (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires Synonyms: defence, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense mechanism, defense reaction

aegis, answer, apologetic, apologetics, apologia, apology, arch dam, argument, argumentation, armament, armor, arms, backfire, backstop, bamboo curtain, bank, bar, barrage, barrier, bear-trap dam, beaver dam, bicker, bickering, boom, breakwater, breastwork, brick wall, buffer, bulkhead, casuistry, cofferdam, comeback, confutation, contention, contraremonstrance, controversy, counteraccusation, counterattack, counterblast, counterblow, countercharge, counterclaim, counterfire, counterinsurgency, countermeasure, counterreply, counterrevolution, counterstatement, counterstep, counterstroke, cover, dam, demurrer, denial, dike, disputation, dispute, ditch, earthwork, embankment, exception, exculpation, excuse, explanation, eye, fastness, fence, flyting, fortress, gate, gravity dam, groin, guard, hassle, hubbub, hydraulic-fill dam, iron curtain, jam, jetty, justification, leaping weir, lee, levee, litigation, logjam, logomachy, milldam, moat, mole, mound, munitions, objection, paper war, parapet, passage of arms, plea, pleading, pleadings, polemic, polemics, portcullis, preservation, protective custody, rationalization, rebuttal, rebutter, refuge, refutation, rejoinder, replication, reply, response, retort, return, rhubarb, riposte, roadblock, rock-fill dam, safeguard, safekeeping, safety, seawall, security, set-to, shade, shadow, shelter, shield, shutter dam, special demurrer, special pleading, statement of defense, stone wall, stronghold, surrebuttal, surrebutter, surrejoinder, verbal engagement, wall, war of words, ward, watchful eye, weaponry, weapons, weir, wicket dam, work, wrangling

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