adv
Meaning 1
In a defensive manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
defensively
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /dɪˈfɛnsɪvli/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: D IH0 F EH1 N S IH0 V L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adverb
Meaning 2
in a defensive manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the general conviction that our side is in the right and acting defensively over what Russians call the German question and Americans the Berlin crisis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: offensively
adverb
Meaning 3
in an apologetic and defensive manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- `I felt it better you should know,' said Sir Cedric defensively
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English defensive Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English defensively From defensive + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Catalan: defensivament — in a defensive manner
- Czech: defenzivně — in a defensive manner
- Finnish: puolustavasti — in a defensive manner
- Finnish: puolustuksellisesti — in a defensive manner
- French: défensivement — in a defensive manner
- Greek: αμυντικά (amyntiká) — in a defensive manner
- Italian: difensivamente — in a defensive manner
- Portuguese: defensivamente — in a defensive manner
- Spanish: defensivamente — in a defensive manner
Real reading context