defensive
/dɪˈfɛn.sɪv/adjective, noun
defensive is spelled D-E-F-E-N-S-I-V-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 24 times per million words in written English, the 3,752nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, defensive means “Intended for defence; protective” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in defensive?
| Letters | 9: D-E-F-E-N-S-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 24 times per million words; the 3,752nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is defensive?
Defensive appears 24 times per million words in written English, the 3,752nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce defensive?
- US /dɪˈfɛn.sɪv/
- Australia /dɪˈfen.sɪv/
- /dəˈfen.səv/
Defensive has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-defensive.wav, En-au-defensive.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with defensive?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as defensive from its last stressed vowel (/ɛnsɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of defensive
- more defensive comparative
- most defensive superlative
- defensives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does defensive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Intended for defence; protective.
a defensive perimeter
- 2
Intended to deter attack.
a defensive missile system
- 3
Performed so as to minimise risk.
defensive driving
- 4
Displaying an inordinate sensitivity to criticism or intrusion; oversensitive; thin-skinned.
- 5
Of a bowling or fielding tactic designed to prevent the other side from scoring runs; of a batting tactic designed to prevent being out.
- 6
Pertaining to defense, as opposed to attack.
The victim held up his hand to repel the attacker and received a defensive knife wound.
- 7
In a state or posture of defense.
noun
- 1
A means, attitude or position of defense. Chiefly in on the defensive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Defensive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | défensif, defendant |
| German | Verteidigungs-, Abwehr- , defensiv, zurückhaltend , abwehrend , Abwehr |
| Portuguese | defensivo, defensante, que defensa , defensiva |
| Spanish | defensivo, que defensa, defensante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does defensive come from?
From Middle French défensif. Morphologically defense + -ive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).