# defense

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɪˈfɛns/ · frequency rank #1,247

## Definitions
1. The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury.
2. Anything employed to oppose attack(s).
3. Anything employed to oppose attack(s).
4. An argument in support or justification of something.
5. An argument in support or justification of something.
6. An argument in support or justification of something.
7. Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
8. A prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.

## Etymology
From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced native Old English bewering. The verb is from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **dense** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defense-vs-dense)
- **define** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defense-vs-define)
- **defuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defense-vs-defuse)
- **defensive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defense-vs-defensive)
- **defend** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defend-vs-defense)
- **defence** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defence-vs-defense)
- **defender** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defender-vs-defense)
- **defended** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defended-vs-defense)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ddefense`, `deefnse`, `defenes`, `defennse`, `defensse`, `defesne`, `deffense`, `defnese`, `dfeense`, `edfense`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/defense