Sports / B2

di-FEND-uh/dɪˈfendə/

A defender is a person who protects a place, idea, or person; also a player whose job is to stop the other side scoring: a defender of the Act; a central defender. Defend and defence are already in the dictionary; advocate is a close twin for ideas. Name the defender in the PE report, then the foul. Mix-up: defender vs offender; defendant (the accused); do not write defender for a brand ambassador with no statute or match.

Meaning

A person who protects a place, idea, or person; also a player whose job is to stop the other side scoring.

Examples

• “Name the defender in the PE report, then the foul; a defender of the Act still needs the statute.”
• “A human-rights defender featured in the extract, which is the advocate sense — still name the organisation.”

Good to know

a defender of; a central / last defender. Verb: defend. Noun: defence. Legal trap: defendant. PE, citizenship, and news. Someone who protects, or a defensive player — name the Act or the match.

Near in meaning

advocate, guard, back

Topics

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