de·fen·sive
di-ˈfen(t)-siv 
ˈdē-ˌfen(t)-
ˈdē-ˌfen(t)-
1
: serving to defend or protect
defensive fortifications
2
a
: devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack
defensive behavior
He became defensive when I brought up his spending habits.
b
sports
: of or relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest
a player with good defensive skills
made a brilliant defensive play
also
: of or relating to a team that is not in possession of the ball or puck
a defensive lineman
3
card games
a
: valuable in defensive play
a defensive card in bridge
b
: designed to keep an opponent from being the highest bidder
a defensive bid
defensively
adverb
defensiveness
noun
Examples of defensive in a Sentence
Adjective
The city began building a defensive wall around its borders.
The government decided to join a defensive alliance with several other nations.
I was surprised by his defensive reaction to my suggestion.
There's no need to get so defensive. I was only making a suggestion.
When we asked her about the mistakes, she became defensive.
The coach has a strong defensive strategy.
Noun
their unexpectedly harsh words put him on the defensive
Recent Examples on the Web
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2025
Indianapolis still has its two stalwart defensive tackles, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, anchoring the interior defensive line.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 20 June 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs are being sued by former NFL defensive back Ramzee Robinson, who previously worked as the team's director of player engagement.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
And with all due respect to Tyler, Durant figures to be the one for the ages who will draw the ultimate defensive respect.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2025
Indianapolis still has its two stalwart defensive tackles, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, anchoring the interior defensive line.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Noun
New polling of likely voters in Senate battleground states has found President Trump’s frequent clashes with federal courts are becoming a hot issue that could put Senate Republican candidates on the defensive in 2026.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 20 June 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs are being sued by former NFL defensive back Ramzee Robinson, who previously worked as the team's director of player engagement.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensive
Cite this Entry
“Defensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defensive. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
defensive
1 of 2 adjective
de·fen·sive
di-ˈfen(t)-siv
ˈdē-ˌfen(t)-
ˈdē-ˌfen(t)-
1
: serving or intended to defend or protect
a defensive alliance
2
: resisting or preventing attack
defensive behavior
3
: of or relating to the attempt to keep an opponent from scoring in a game or contest
a player with good defensive skills
defensively
adverb
defensiveness
noun
defensive
2 of 2 noun
: a defensive position
put on the defensive by an attack
Medical Definition
defensive
adjective
de·fen·sive
di-ˈfen(t)-siv
ˈdē-ˌ
ˈdē-ˌ
1
: serving to defend or protect (as the ego)
face-saving is a common defensive reaction—Psychology Today
Psychology Today2
: devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack
defensive behavior
defensively
adverb
defensiveness
noun
Legal Definition
defensive
adjective
de·fen·sive
1
: serving to defend or as part of a defense
a defensive pleading
2
: devoted to resisting or preventing aggressive actions
a defensive recapitalization…to escape a takeover attempt—Barbara Franklin
Barbara Franklin
defensively
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share