- 1protecting someone or something against attack a defensive measure Troops took up a defensive position around the town. compare offensive
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- 2behaving in a way that shows that you feel that people are criticizing you Don't ask him about his plans—he just gets defensive.
- 3(sport) connected with trying to prevent the other team or player from scoring points or goals defensive play compare offensive
adverb
noun [uncountable]See defensive in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: defensive