Synonyms for defensive
dɪˈfɛn sɪvde·fen·sive

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. defensive, defensive attitudeadjective

   an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive')

   Synonyms:
   defensive attitude

   Antonyms:
   tip-and-run, unapologetic, predatory, antipersonnel, on the offensive(p), invading, attacking(a), marauding, incursive, hit-and-run, assaultive, offensive, invasive, raiding

2. defensiveadjective

   intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack

   "defensive weapons"; "a defensive stance"

   Synonyms:
   justificative, justificatory

   Antonyms:
   incursive, offensive, antipersonnel, invading, predatory, attacking(a), invasive, tip-and-run, on the offensive(p), assaultive, unapologetic, raiding, hit-and-run, marauding

3. defensive, justificative, justificatoryadjective

   attempting to justify or defend in speech or writing

   Synonyms:
   justificative, vindicatory, justificatory

   Antonyms:
   antipersonnel, offensive, predatory, incursive, on the offensive(p), marauding, invasive, attacking(a), unapologetic, raiding, assaultive, tip-and-run, hit-and-run, invading

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "defensive":

   defense, defence

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How to use defensive in a sentence?

1. Kevin Caron:

   The places where we are seeing strength are in the more defensive areas of the (stock) market. That's tied to the perceived weakness in global growth.

2. Karen Hiatt:

   I think what we're going to see through the end of the year is a refocus on oil and commodities, the market is still continuing to want to migrate toward more defensive, more visible earnings-type companies or sectors.

3. Demosthenes:

   There are all kinds of devices invented for the protection and preservation of countries: defensive barriers, forts, trenches, and the like... But prudent minds have as a natural gift one safeguard which is the common possession of all, and this applies especially to the dealings of democracies. What is this safeguard? Skepticism. This you must preserve. This you must retain. If you can keep this, you need fear no harm.

4. Damon Stoudamire:

   We’re not happy about losing. We’re past that here, we had a lot of opportunities. We missed a lot of open shots. When (Gonzaga) needed to turn it up another notch, they did on the defensive end.

5. David B. Kopel:

   [I]f society acknowledges that handguns have significant defensive value and can help save the lives of police officers and security guards, how can society deny that handguns can also help save the lives of other people?