self-defense

self-defense — noun

1. action you take to keep yourself safe when someone is trying to hurt or attack y

1.nounB2
Definition

action you take to keep yourself safe when someone is trying to hurt or attack you

Example

Iris pushed the man away in self-defense when he grabbed her bag.

in self-defense after a direct attack

The shopkeeper said he hit the thief only in self-defense.

say or claim self-defense

Common collocations
  • act in self-defense
  • claim self-defense
  • use force in self-defense
  • a self-defense case
Synonyms
  • self-protection

    is broader and can include avoiding danger, not only fighting back

  • protection

    is much wider and does not have to mean protecting yourself

  • justification

    can describe the legal excuse, not the act of defending yourself

Grammar Patterns

in self-defense

claim self-defense

use force in self-defense

Usage Note

Often follows in and commonly appears when someone explains or judges a violent response. Distinguish from sense 2, which names training or skills rather than a single act of protection.

Common Mistakes

He punched the man for self-defense.
He punched the man in self-defense.
This sense normally follows the preposition 'in'.

2. training in simple fighting methods you can use without a weapon to protect your

2.nounB2
Definition

training in simple fighting methods you can use without a weapon to protect yourself

Example

Tara joined a self-defense class after walking home alone at night.

take a self-defense class

The coach teaches self-defense to office workers every Saturday morning.

teach self-defense to learners

Common collocations
  • self-defense class
  • self-defense training
  • basic self-defense moves
  • learn self-defense
Synonyms
  • martial arts

    is broader and can include sport, tradition, or fitness, not only personal safety

  • combat training

    sounds stronger and is often linked to military or police practice

  • protection techniques

    is a looser description rather than a fixed everyday term

Grammar Patterns

learn self-defense

take a self-defense class

self-defense training

Usage Note

Usually refers to classes, lessons, training, or techniques that prepare you before danger happens. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes protecting yourself during an actual attack or threat.

Common Mistakes

She is learning a self-defense.
She is learning self-defense.
This sense is usually uncountable unless you name a class, lesson, or move.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Self-defense usually refers to protecting yourself when danger is already happening, especially if someone attacks or threatens you. It is also the usual word when a person explains their actions in court or in the news. Self-protection is broader: it can include locking your door, wearing a helmet, or avoiding risky places, so it does not always suggest a direct attack. Protection is broader still and often means safety given by another person, a rule, or equipment. Self-preservation is stronger and more dramatic, focusing on staying alive or avoiding serious harm. If a woman pushes an attacker away, that is self-defense; if she installs a brighter door lock, that is self-protection.

self-defense ↗self-protectionprotection ↗self-preservation

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinFrenchEnglish

Self-defense combines self with defense. Self comes from Old English and points to the person being protected. Defense entered English through French from Latin defendere, meaning to ward off or protect. Together, the compound first names protecting yourself from attack and then, by extension, the training used to do that.

First known use

1609

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 2