Other forms: defences
Defence is protection against attack, or the case argued for the accused. National defence, the defence rested, in defence of.
In court the defence answers the prosecution and need prove nothing, since the burden lies on the other side. Americans spell it defense, and in sport the defence is the players whose job is stopping goals.
1noundefenceProtection against attack, or the case argued for the accused.
“The lawyer for the defence argued that her client had been at home that night.”
defence is a protection.
Also accepted in games: defense
Latin defensa means protection, from defendere, to ward off.
Latin
dēfēnsa — protection
Old French
defens
Middle English
defens
English, today
defence
From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). bewering.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA