[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/defensive.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / defensive

[← D](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/D/)

# defensive

«defensive» in Mova's school dictionary: **used or made to protect against attack (a defensive wall)** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (defensive, more defensive); noun (on the defensive)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Defensive means used or made to protect against attack (a defensive wall). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#m1)

2) A defensive person reacts as if being criticised or attacked, and tries to protect themselves. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#m2)

3) In sport, defensive means about stopping the other team from scoring. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#m3)

4) Fighting on the defensive means only protecting yourself and not attacking. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In history, castles had defensive walls and moats. In sport, defensive players protect their goal. In stories and feelings lessons, a defensive character gets upset when someone points out a mistake. In nature, animals have defensive features like spines and shells. Phrases: defensive player, defensive wall, on the defensive, get defensive.

### examples

- The castle had thick defensive walls. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x1)
- The hedgehog's spines are a defensive feature. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x2)
- He gets defensive when you say his room is messy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x3)
- She is a strong defensive player. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x4)
- The team was on the defensive for most of the game. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x5)
- Don't be defensive; I'm only trying to help. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x6)
- A porcupine has a defensive way of raising its quills. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x7)
- Man to man they were the stronger; but they fought on the defensive only, which enabled the boys to hunt in pairs and choose their quarry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/#x8)

### note

Comparison: more defensive. Spelt «defensive» with s (US «defense», UK «defence», but «defensive» everywhere). Verb: defend. Opposite: offensive, attacking.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «defensive» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/defensive/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.