🔄 Synonyms of "Defensive"
11 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| protectivenoun | Serving or intended to protect. |
| justificative | justificatory |
| apologeticnoun | Having the character of apology; regretfully excusing. |
| justificatory | Providing or related to justification; justificational. |
| antiaircraftnoun | Alternative spelling of anti-aircraft. [(military) Intended to attack aircraft.] |
| en gardenoun | (fencing) Ellipsis of en garde position, the start position in fencing. |
| antisubmarine | (military) Intended for use against submarines. |
| excusatory | serving to make an excuse |
| defendingnoun | An act of defence. |
| defensive attitudenoun | an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive') |
| antitank | (military) Of weapons or tactics, designed for thwarting or (especially) attacking tanks or other armored fighting vehicles. |
↔️ Antonyms of "Defensive"
Words with the opposite meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| offensivenoun | Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, hatred, sadness, or indignation. |
💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Defensive"
Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| protective | Serving or intended to protect. |
| excusatory | serving to make an excuse |
| apologetic | Having the character of apology; regretfully excusing. |
| justificatory | Providing or related to justification; justificational. |
| justificative | justificatory |
| antitank | (military) Of weapons or tactics, designed for thwarting or (especially) attacking tanks or other armored fighting vehicles. |
| antiaircraft | Alternative spelling of anti-aircraft. [(military) Intended to attack aircraft.] |
| en gardenoun | (fencing) Ellipsis of en garde position, the start position in fencing. |
| antisubmarine | (military) Intended for use against submarines. |
| defendingnoun | An act of defence. |
| defensive attitudenoun | an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive') |
| defendverb | (transitive) To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard. |
| protectionnoun | The process of keeping (something or someone) safe. |
| defencenoun | The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury. |
| defendernoun | Someone who defends people or property. |
| defensenoun | The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury. |
| self-defencenoun | Alternative spelling of self-defense. [The means of defending oneself from physical attack.] |
| self-defensenoun | The means of defending oneself from physical attack. |
| guardnoun | A person who, or thing that, protects or watches over something. |
| advocacynoun | The act of arguing in favour of, or supporting someone or something. |
⚡ Words Strongly Associated with "Defensive"
These words statistically appear in the same text as "defensive" (Google Books Ngrams).
🎨 Adjectives for "Defensive"
Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.
🏷️ Nouns for "Defensive"
Common nouns this word is used to describe.
📝 Common Phrases with "Defensive"
Words that come before
🌐 Broader and Narrower Concepts
More Specific (hyponyms)
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