to defend
212
3.5
- verb
- /dɪˈfɛnd/
:
defender
- In court, she will defend the rights of her client with convincing arguments.
- defend a client
- a lawyer to defend
- defend in court
He is going to court to defend the value of his brand.
- He is going to court to defend the value of his brand.
- Now explain to me why you can't defend yourself in front of the grand jury because you don't.
- So these girls were left alone with God bless Alliance Defending Freedom to pursue this case in court, which they did.
- And here we are defending for in a double murder case.
- the the need for Tyree to defend himself against the murder
- If Nilf Guardian parents pay me, I'll defend Nilf Guardian children.
- Copyrights cover your legal expenses to defend the fact that you got ripped off.
- And Faison Love and Vasia Parks are defend also defended Diddy.
Examples
-
He has a strong reputation for being able to defend those accused of serious crimes.
-
The lawyer worked tirelessly to defend her client during the trial.
-
My duty under the law is to defend the accused according to Party principles.
-
You could go back to school, get your law degree, then defend Colin yourself.
Fiction book (1997) -
"I thought you were supposed to be defending us in this trial."
Fiction book (1998) -
We did do it, and we're prepared to defend ourselves in any court you care to haul us into.
Fiction book (2000) -
He is going to court to defend the value of his brand.
-
He's planning on defending himself.
-
Don't forget about all the people you have successfully defended in court, clients from a wide variety of social backgrounds.
Academic text (2012) -
One grateful client even named a son Lionel after Barrett successfully defended the man against murder charges.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
835
2.7
Speak or act officially for someone, for example a lawyer
283
6.4
Tell a court whether you are guilty or not
7
7.4
To give legal advice and represent someone in court
Antonyms
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Morphology
defend = fend (semi-transparent) = de + fend
The legal sense (to represent/defend a client) is an extension of 'warding off' an attack in a procedural sense; the morphological elements are historically present but not fully productive in modern English.
Etymology
Defend also grew into a legal meaning: a lawyer who defends a person 'pushes away' the charges against them. So, to defend in court is to represent and protect someone from a legal attack.