defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər 

1

: one that defends

2

: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Synonyms

• guardian
• custodian
• protector
• protection
• bodyguard

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

Fofana is arguably Chelsea’s most gifted defender, but the 24-year-old has also spent much of his time at Stamford Bridge on the sidelines. —Liam Twomey, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2025

America is Israel’s most important defender, ally and patron. —Seth Lavin, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

Meanwhile, at least 40 individuals—including journalists and human rights defenders—have had their passports canceled without warning, effectively trapping them inside the country. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025

According to the legal document, Anderson is also requesting that the public defenders' office appoint counsel for him. —Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025

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

Phrases Containing defender

• public defender

Rhymes for defender

• bartender
• contender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender
• blender

Kids Definition

defender

noun

de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər 

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