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1. Dictionary

   defensive

   /dɪˈfɛnsɪv/

   adjective

   • 1. used or intended to defend or protect: "defensive barriers" Similar defendingguardingsafeguardingprotectingprotectiveshieldingscreeningwarywatchfulavertingwithstandingopposingOpposite attacking
   • ▪ (in sport) relating to or intended as defence: "a defensive player"
   • 2. very anxious to challenge or avoid criticism: "he was very defensive about that side of his life" Similar self-justifyingoversensitivethin-skinnedeasily offendedpricklyparanoidneuroticinformal:uptighttwitchyrare:umbrageousOpposite confident

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French défensif, -ive, from medieval Latin defensivus, from Latin defens- ‘warded off’, from the verb defendere (see defend).

   Scrabble Points: 16

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › defensiveDefensive Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › defensive

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   Nov 2, 2012 · The meaning of DEFENSIVE is serving to defend or protect. How to use defensive in a sentence.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishDEFENSIVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   DEFENSIVE definition: 1. used to protect someone or something against attack: 2. too quick to protect yourself from…. Learn more.

4. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › defensiveDefensive - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › defensive

   When a person is acting defensive, they're trying to protect or justify themselves. People who are insecure or guilty tend to act defensive. Also, defensive players in football try to prevent the other side from scoring, just like defensive military strategies try to protect something.

5. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishDEFENSIVE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   You use defensive to describe things that are intended to protect someone or something. The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids. The union leaders were pushed into a more defensive position by the return of a Republican Congress in November.

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › defensiveDefensive - definition of defensive by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › defensive

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   1. serving or done for the purpose of resisting attack. 2. of or pertaining to defense. 3. sensitive to the threat of criticism or injury to one's ego. n. 4. a position or attitude of defense: on the defensive about one's mistakes. de•fen′sive•ness, n.

7. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishdefensive adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Definition of defensive adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. protecting somebody/something against attack. As a defensive measure he built a series of coastal forts and watchtowers. These are purely defensive measures. Troops took up a defensive position around the town. Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

8. www.oed.com › dictionary › defensive_adjdefensive, adj. & n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford...

   www.oed.com › dictionary › defensive_adj

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   What does the word defensive mean? There are 17 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word defensive, five of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. How common is the word defensive? How is the word pronounced? Where does the word come from?

9. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english-wordDEFENSIVE - Meaning & Translations | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english-word

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   You use defensive to describe things that are intended to protect someone or something.

10. www.britannica.com › dictionary › defensiveDefensive Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

    www.britannica.com › dictionary › defensive

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    DEFENSIVE meaning: 1 : defending or protecting someone or something from attack helping to keep a person or thing safe; 2 : behaving in a way that shows that you feel people are criticizing you often + about

11. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryDEFENSIVE | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

    dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

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    DEFENSIVE meaning: 1. used to protect someone or something against attack: 2. too quick to protect yourself from…. Learn more.