- protecting somebody/something against attack
- As a defensive measure he built a series of coastal forts and watchtowers.
- These are purely defensive measures.
- Troops took up a defensive position around the town.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- purely
- essentially
- largely
- …
- behaving in a way that shows that you feel that people are criticizing you
- Don't ask him about his plans—he just gets defensive.
- He is extremely defensive about his work.
- Her manner was oddly defensive, as he hadn't intended any criticism at all.
- Whenever anyone mentions women's rights, he gets rather defensive.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- about
- (sport) connected with trying to prevent the other team or player from scoring points or goals
- defensive play
- a largely defensive campaign
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French défensif, -ive, from medieval Latin defensivus, from Latin defens- ‘warded off’, from the verb defendere, from de- ‘off’ + -fendere ‘to strike’.
Check pronunciation:
defensive