defense
/dɪˈfens/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfens/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈfen(t)s as antonym of "offense" often ˈdē-ˌfen(t)s/ (ame, mw)
defense — 名詞
- defensesingular
- defensesplural
1. The US spelling of the word 'defence' in any of its meanings — British English u
美式拼寫
等同於英式拼寫 defence
The US spelling of the word 'defence' in any of its meanings — British English uses the '-ce' ending where American English uses '-se'.
In American English, defense is always spelled with an s instead of a c.
在美式英語中，defense 一律拼寫為 s 而非 c。
US spelling: -se vs UK -ce
The student wrote defense in her essay because the teacher uses US spelling rules.
那位學生的作文寫 defense，因為老師採用美式拼寫規則。
American newspapers all use defense while British papers write defence for the same meaning.
美國報紙都用 defense，而英國報紙對相同意義的詞則寫 defence。
When reading a British novel, Taiwanese learners may see defence spelled with a c instead.
台灣學習者閱讀英國小說時，可能會看到 defence 拼寫成 c。
用法筆記
The UK spelling 'defence' is used in British, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English (though Canadian press sometimes uses '-se'). Both spellings follow the same pronunciation: /dɪˈfens/.
常見錯誤
2. The act of shielding people or things from physical attacks, verbal criticism, o
防禦；辯護
保護他人或自己免受攻擊的行為
The act of shielding people or things from physical attacks, verbal criticism, or any kind of harm — for instance, standing between a child and a dangerous dog, or arguing to protect someone's reputation from unfair blame.
Trang spoke loudly in defense of her younger brother when older kids teased him.
Trang 大聲為弟弟辯護，因為年紀較大的孩子在欺負他。
collocation: in defense of [someone/something]
The old stone wall was built for the defense of the village against enemy armies.
這道古老的石牆是為了防禦敵軍入侵村莊而建造的。
Rania wrote a long letter in defense of the new park plan after neighbors complained.
Rania 寫了一封長信為新的公園計畫辯護，因為鄰居們曾表達不滿。
Soldiers risk their lives every day for the defense of their country and its people.
士兵們每天冒著生命危險，捍衛國家與人民的安全。
Adaeze jumped in front of her little sister in defense when the stray dog ran at them.
Adaeze 衝到妹妹前方保護她，因為那隻流浪狗朝她們跑了過來。
- protection
broader term covering any safety measure, not necessarily against an active attack
- guard
focuses on watching for danger and preventing access, often refers to a person or device
- attack
the opposite action — actively trying to harm instead of protecting
用法筆記
Often used in fixed phrases such as 'in defense of' and 'come to someone's defense'. The verb form 'defend' is more common for describing the action directly.
常見錯誤
3. A thing, substance, method, or structure that keeps someone or something safe fr
防護物；手段
用來抵擋攻擊或傷害的物品或方法
A thing, substance, method, or structure that keeps someone or something safe from damage, disease, bad weather, or other threats.
The thick coat was a poor defense against the freezing wind on the mountain.
這件厚外套完全抵擋不了山上的刺骨寒風。
pattern: defense against [threat]
Trees planted along the coast act as a natural defense against flooding from big storms.
海岸邊種植的樹木是抵擋大風暴帶來洪水的天然屏障。
Takeshi takes vitamin C every morning as a defense against catching colds in winter.
Takeshi 每天早上吃維生素 C，當作冬天預防感冒的方法。
A strong password is your main defense against hackers who try to steal private information.
一組安全的密碼是你防範駭客竊取個資的主要防線。
The mosquito net over the bed provides an effective defense against malaria at night.
床上的蚊帳是夜間防範瘧疾的有效工具。
- protection
more general; defense implies an active or structural barrier against a known threat
- shield
suggests a physical or metaphorical barrier held in front of something specific
- vulnerability
the state of being open to harm without any means of protection
文法句型
defense + against + noun
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'against' to specify what threat is being blocked. Can be concrete (a wall, a coat) or abstract (a password, a vaccine).
4. The armed forces, weapons, systems, and government planning that a country uses
國防
國家保護自身安全的軍事體系
The armed forces, weapons, systems, and government planning that a country uses to protect itself from attack by other nations.
The government plans to increase the defense budget for new navy ships next year.
政府計畫明年增加國防預算，用於添購新型軍艦。
collocation: defense budget
Hugo works for the Ministry of Defense designing radar systems for the air force.
Hugo 在國防部工作，負責為空軍設計雷達系統。
Several nations signed a defense agreement promising to help each other during wars.
數個國家簽署了國防協議，承諾在戰爭期間互相協助。
The general argued that the country's defense needed stronger ground troops in the north.
將軍主張國家國防需要在北部部署更強大的地面部隊。
Critics say the defense spending is too high and the money should go to schools instead.
批評者認為國防開支過高，這些經費應該投入學校教育。
- armed forces
refers specifically to the people and combat units, not the planning and budget systems
- security
broader term that includes non-military safety measures like border control
用法筆記
Frequently capitalized as part of official names: 'Department of Defense' (US), 'Ministry of Defence' (UK — note British spelling). Often functions as an adjective in compounds like 'defense policy', 'defense contractor'.
常見錯誤
5. A spoken or written set of reasons that explains why something you did or believ
辯詞；辯護
為某人或某事辯護的理由或說法
A spoken or written set of reasons that explains why something you did or believe is right, fair, or should not be criticized.
Mira gave a strong defense of her decision to study abroad despite the high cost.
Mira 為自己出國留學的決定提出了有力的辯護，儘管費用很高。
pattern: defense of + decision/belief
The politician's defense of the new tax plan did not convince many voters in the room.
那位政治人物為新稅收計畫的辯護，並未說服在場的多數選民。
In defense of the manager, the project was already behind schedule before she joined.
為經理說句公道話，她加入之前該專案就已經進度落後了。
The professor wrote a detailed defense of the traditional grading system used at the school.
教授寫了一篇詳盡的辯護，為學校使用的傳統評分制度護航。
Paul's only defense for forgetting the meeting was that his phone battery had died completely.
Paul 忘記開會的唯一理由是手機電池完全沒電了。
- justification
suggests proving that something was right rather than merely defending it from criticism
- excuse
often has a negative connotation of avoiding blame rather than providing real reasons
- criticism
an expression of disapproval that a defense seeks to answer
文法句型
defense + of + noun
用法筆記
This sense is similar to 'justification' but defense specifically implies responding to an attack or criticism. Commonly followed by the preposition 'of' to state what is being supported.
6. When a person is on trial, the side that represents the accused individual — inc
辯護方；答辯
法庭上證明被告無罪的論證及律師團隊
When a person is on trial, the side that represents the accused individual — including the lawyers, their arguments, and the evidence they present to try to prove innocence.
The defense called three witnesses who said the man was at home when the robbery happened.
辯護方傳喚了三名證人，他們表示搶案發生時該男子正在家中。
collocation: the defense calls witnesses
Amelia's lawyer built a solid defense based on security footage that showed the wrong time.
Amelia 的律師根據一段顯示時間錯誤的監視器畫面，建立了紮實的辯護。
The defense rested its case after the main witness failed to identify the suspect clearly.
辯護方在主證人無法清楚指認嫌疑人之後，結束了舉證程序。
The judge asked the defense to present its opening statement before the prosecution began.
法官要求辯護方在檢方開始前進行開庭陳述。
Vivek hired a top lawyer for his defense after the company accused him of stealing money.
在公司指控他侵占公款後，Vivek 聘請了一位頂尖律師為自己辯護。
- legal team
more general, can include both prosecution and defense lawyers
- counsel
formal term for the lawyer(s) representing a client in court
- prosecution
the side that brings charges against the accused in a criminal trial
文法句型
the defense + verb (singular)
用法筆記
As a collective noun for the legal team, 'the defense' takes a singular verb in standard English ('the defense argues' not 'argue'). Distinguish from 'defendant' — the defense is the legal team; the defendant is the person on trial.
常見錯誤
7. During a contest such as basketball, football, or soccer, the group of players w
防守方；防守
比賽中阻止對手得分的球員或打法
During a contest such as basketball, football, or soccer, the group of players whose task is preventing the opposition from adding points to the scoreboard, along with their method of playing — for example, a soccer team's back line of defenders.
The team's defense worked hard all night to keep the opponents from scoring a goal.
球隊的防守方整晚全力奮戰，不讓對手進球。
collocation: on defense / play defense
Gabriel plays on defense for the college soccer team and rarely lets players pass him.
Gabriel 在大學足球隊擔任防守位置，很少有對手能越過他。
A strong defense is just as important as a good offense in championship basketball games.
在冠軍籃球賽中，堅強的防守和出色的進攻同樣重要。
The coach praised the defense for stopping three quick attempts near the goal area.
教練讚揚防守組在球門附近連續擋下了三次快速攻勢。
Trang's team has the best defense in the league with only eight goals allowed all season.
Trang 的球隊是聯盟中防守最好的，整季只失了八球。
- offense
the team or players trying to score rather than prevent scoring
文法句型
the defense + verb (singular)
on defense
play defense
用法筆記
In sports contexts, 'defense' can be treated as a singular unit ('the defense is strong') or as a collective ('the defense are playing well' in British usage). Common phrases include 'to play defense' (verb phrase) and 'on defense' (to indicate which side of the game is active).
常見錯誤
8. An unconscious mental reaction that helps a person avoid facing painful thoughts
心理防衛
潛意識中保護自己免受痛苦的心理程序
An unconscious mental reaction that helps a person avoid facing painful thoughts, unacceptable feelings, or threatening memories — for example, denying that a bad event happened, or finding logical excuses for hurtful behavior.
The therapist helped Mira see that her anger was a defense against buried sadness from childhood.
治療師幫助 Mira 了解，她的憤怒其實是對童年深層悲傷的一種心理防衛。
collocation: defense against [painful feeling]
Making jokes about the accident was Lara's unconscious defense against the trauma she felt inside.
拿車禍來開玩笑，是 Lara 下意識防衛內心創傷的方式。
The psychologist explained that denial is a common psychological defense used by people facing loss.
心理學家解釋說，否認是人們面對失落時常見的心理防衛機制。
His constant need to prove himself at work was actually a defense against deep feelings of doubt.
他在工作中不斷證明自己的需求，其實是對內心深處自我懷疑的防衛。
When criticized unfairly, some people use anger as a defense instead of listening to the feedback.
遭到不公正批評時，有些人會用憤怒作為防衛，而不願意聆聽意見。
- defense mechanism
the more common technical term for a specific unconscious process
- coping strategy
broader term covering conscious and unconscious ways of handling stress
文法句型
defense mechanism
psychological defense
用法筆記
This is a technical term in psychology. The compound noun 'defense mechanism' is very common in both formal and informal discussions of behavior. Common defense mechanisms include denial, projection, rationalization, and repression.
常見錯誤
defense — 動詞
- defensepresent simple I / you / we / they
- defenses3rd person singular
- defensing-ing form
- defensedpast simple
1. In sports, to take action against an opponent or a scoring attempt in order to p
防守
在比賽中阻止對手得分
In sports, to take action against an opponent or a scoring attempt in order to prevent them from gaining points or an advantage — for example, blocking a basketball shot or marking a soccer forward.
Élise defended the star player closely for the whole game and stopped her from scoring.
Élise 整場比賽緊盯對方的明星球員，阻止她得分。
transitive: defend + opponent
The coach told the team to defend the three-point line and not let anyone shoot easily.
教練指示球隊嚴守三分線，不讓任何人輕鬆投籃。
Gabriel needs to defend against the taller forward more aggressively under the basket tonight.
Gabriel 今晚需要在籃下更積極地防守那位較高的前鋒。
To defend a fast break, the players must run back quickly and protect their own goal.
要防守快攻，球員必須迅速回防並保護自己的球門。
- attack
to try to score rather than prevent scoring
文法句型
defense + opponent/player
defense + against + opponent
用法筆記
This verb is specific to sports commentary and instruction. In everyday English, 'defend' is far more common than the verb 'defense' (defense is primarily a noun). The verb 'defend' can replace this usage in most contexts.