defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
Synonyms of defendernext
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Examples of defender in a Sentence

one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During the first half hydration break, France defender Lucas Digne let himself be doused by a sprinkler. CBS News, 1 July 2026 The ringleader is Virgil van Dijk, one of the best defenders of his generation with Liverpool, who has captained the Oranje for a national record 72 appearances and represented the Dutch national team for a decade. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 June 2026 Antonio Nusa dribbles into the box, gets a defender on his heels, and sends in a shot just over the outstretched arms of the Ivory Coast goalkeeper to open our scoring. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026 But on the resulting corner kick, France gets the ball to Mbappé who deftly weaved between defenders for the first goal of the game. Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for defender

Word History

Etymology

Middle English defendour, defender, borrowed from Anglo-French defendour, defendur, from defend-, stem of defendre "to defend" + -our, -ur -or entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of defender was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (as football) who plays a defensive position

Legal Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er
: a lawyer who represents defendants
especially : public defender

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