- a person who defends someone or something from attack, assault, or injury: We commemorate the brave defenders of this fort.
- an attorney for a defendant, especially a public defender: the systemwide benefits of effective defenders.
- a person who supports an argument, theory, thesis, etc., in the face of criticism or challenging questions: defenders of gay rights.
- Sports.
- a team player whose assigned role is to prevent the other team from scoring: On the court, he’s an exceptional defender and a natural leader.
- a contestant or team that attempts to retain a championship title, rank, etc., in a competition against a challenger: Her main rival is the young title defender from Italy.
