Other forms: protections
Protection is the keeping of somebody or something safe from harm. Police protection, protection from the rain, data protection.
It names the arrangement rather than the act, which is why it appears in so many legal and institutional phrases: child protection, consumer protection, protection order. Protection money is what a racket extorts by threatening the harm it offers to prevent. Note that the Latin means covering in front.
1nounprotectionThe keeping of somebody or something safe from harm.
“Sun cream gives your skin protection from burning.”
protection is a keeping safe.
Latin protectio comes from protegere, to cover in front — pro plus tegere, to cover. Tile, toga and detect come from the same covering.
Latin
prōtēctiō
English, today
protection
Built from
From Middle English -, from Old French -, from Latin prōtēctiō. From Middle English -, from Old French -, from stem of Latin prōtectiō (“a covering over”), from Latin prōtēctus, perfect passive participle of protego (“to protect, cover in front”). Displaced native ġesċildnes. Equivalent to protect + ion.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA