self-defense
noun
self-de·fense
ˌself-di-ˈfen(t)s 
1
: a plea of justification for the use of force or for homicide
2
: the act of defending oneself, one's property, or a close relative
Examples of self-defense in a Sentence
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Ermiya Fanaeian, a transgender woman of color and formerly a diversity director at the University of Utah, founded AQSLC after parting ways with the Pink Pistols, an LGBT organization advocating in support of firearm safety and bearing arms as a means of self-defense.
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Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
Seventeen of the shootings were ruled homicides, two were accidental and four were in self-defense.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But Jewett denied there was any evidence Gladney had outed Bragg, calling that a concoction used to bolster the self-defense theory.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Now the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said officers are investigating the 19-year-old’s self-defense claim.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
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Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
Seventeen of the shootings were ruled homicides, two were accidental and four were in self-defense.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But Jewett denied there was any evidence Gladney had outed Bragg, calling that a concoction used to bolster the self-defense theory.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Now the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said officers are investigating the 19-year-old’s self-defense claim.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-defense
Cite this Entry
“Self-defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-defense. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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