defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

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
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.
The Etihad Stadium club have been busy so far in January, having reached an agreement with Lens to sign defender Abdukodir Khusanov and a separate deal with Palmeiras to purchase Vitor Reis. David Ornstein, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025 Johnson is also a good defender, giving the Timberwolves more wing depth to use within the loaded West. David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025 Running back Joe Mixon has been greeted behind a defender in more than half of his rushing attempts, per Next Gen Stats. Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2025 Despite Anunoby’s reputation as the Knicks’ premier defender, the responsibility of guarding the opposing team’s best scorer often falls on Bridges’ shoulders. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for defender 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of defender was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near defender

Cite this Entry

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on defender

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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