Meaning

7 senses
  1. Intended for defence; protective.

    a defensive perimeter

    Verteidigungs-, Abwehr-

    оборони́тельныйoboronítelʹnyj, защи́тныйzaščítnyj

    оборо́ннийoborónnyj, захисни́йzaxysnýj

  2. Intended to deter attack.

    a defensive missile system

    Abwehr-

    intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack

  3. Performed so as to minimise risk.

    defensive driving

    defensiv, zurückhaltend

  4. Displaying an inordinate sensitivity to criticism or intrusion; oversensitive; thin-skinned.

    abwehrend, verletzlich

  5. Of a bowling or fielding tactic designed to prevent the other side from scoring runs; of a batting tactic designed to prevent being out.

  6. Pertaining to defense, as opposed to attack.

    The victim held up his hand to repel the attacker and received a defensive knife wound.

  7. In a state or posture of defense.

    Abwehr-

Examples

87 sentences
  1. Why is Tom being so defensive?

  2. There's no need to be so defensive.

  3. Why are you being so defensive?

  4. Tom is naturally a little defensive.

  5. Don't be so defensive.

Translations

8 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
intended for defence; protective:
Русский
By meaning 1
intended for defence; protective:
Deutsch
By meaning 3
intended for defence; protective:
performed so as to minimise risk:
displaying an inordinate sensitivity to criticism; cf. thin-skinned:

Origin

From Middle French défensif. Morphologically defense + -ive.

From Middle French défensif. Morphologically defense + -ive.

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defensive — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto