noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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
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CMU ARPABET:S EH2 L F D IH0 F EH1 N S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The means of defending oneself from physical attack.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force, which can be used as justification in several charges including murder, assault, and battery.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the act of defending yourself
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: self-defence, self-protection
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: protection
Narrower terms: martial art
History
Etymology
From self- + defense. First used by Hobbes in the 1650s.
Across languages
Translations
88 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
vetëmbrojtje
— means of defending oneself from attack
Arabic:
دِفَاع عَنِ النَّفْسِ
(difāʕ ʕani n-nafsi)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Armenian:
ինքնապաշտպանություն
(inkʻnapaštpanutʻyun)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Azerbaijani:
özünüqoruma
— means of defending oneself from attack
Azerbaijani:
özünümüdafiə
— means of defending oneself from attack
Belarusian:
самаабаро́на
(samaabaróna)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Bulgarian:
самоотбра́на
(samootbrána)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Catalan:
autodefensa
— means of defending oneself from attack
Catalan:
defensa personal
— means of defending oneself from attack
Chinese Mandarin:
自衛 /自卫
(zìwèi)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Chinese Mandarin:
護身 /护身
(hùshēn)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Czech:
sebeobrana
— means of defending oneself from attack
Danish:
selvforsvar
— means of defending oneself from attack
Dutch:
zelfverdediging
— means of defending oneself from attack
Estonian:
enesekaitse
— means of defending oneself from attack
Faroese:
sjálvverja
— means of defending oneself from attack
Finnish:
itsepuolustus
— means of defending oneself from attack
French:
autodéfense
— means of defending oneself from attack
Georgian:
თავდაცვა
(tavdacva)
— means of defending oneself from attack
German:
Selbstverteidigung
— means of defending oneself from attack
Greek:
αυτοάμυνα
(aftoámyna)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Hebrew:
הִתְגּוֹנְנוּת
(hitgonenut)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Hebrew:
הֲגָנָה עַצְמִית
(haganá astmít)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Hindi:
आत्मरक्षा
(ātmarakṣā)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Hungarian:
önvédelem
— means of defending oneself from attack
Italian:
autodifesa
— means of defending oneself from attack
Japanese:
自己防衛
(jiko bōei)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Korean:
자기방어
(jagibang'eo)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Macedonian:
самоодбрана
(samoodbrana)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Malay:
silat
— means of defending oneself from attack
Māori:
parahau whaiaro
— means of defending oneself from attack
Norwegian Bokmål:
selvforsvar
— means of defending oneself from attack
Iranian Persian:
دِفاعِ شَخْصی
(defâ'-e šaxsi)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Polish:
samoobrona
— means of defending oneself from attack
Portuguese:
autodefesa
— means of defending oneself from attack
Portuguese:
defesa pessoal
— means of defending oneself from attack
Romanian:
autoapărare
— means of defending oneself from attack
Russian:
самооборо́на
(samooboróna)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Serbo-Croatian:
самоо̀дбрана
— means of defending oneself from attack
Serbo-Croatian:
самоо̀брана
— means of defending oneself from attack
Serbo-Croatian:
samoòdbrana
— means of defending oneself from attack
Serbo-Croatian:
samoòbrana
— means of defending oneself from attack
Slovak:
sebaobrana
— means of defending oneself from attack
Slovene:
samoobramba
— means of defending oneself from attack
Spanish:
autodefensa
— means of defending oneself from attack
Spanish:
defensa personal
— means of defending oneself from attack
Swedish:
självförsvar
— means of defending oneself from attack
Tamil:
தற்காப்பு
(taṟkāppu)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Turkish:
nefsi müdafaa
— means of defending oneself from attack
Ukrainian:
самооборо́на
(samooboróna)
— means of defending oneself from attack
Vietnamese:
sự tự vệ
— means of defending oneself from attack
Azerbaijani:
özünümüdafiə
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Azerbaijani:
zəruri müdafiə
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Belarusian:
самаабаро́на
(samaabaróna)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Bulgarian:
самоотбра́на
(samootbrána)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Catalan:
legítima defensa
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Chinese Mandarin:
正當防衛 /正当防卫
(zhèngdàng fángwèi)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Czech:
sebeobrana
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Faroese:
neyðverja
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Finnish:
hätävarjelu
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
French:
légitime défense
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Georgian:
თავდაცვა
(tavdacva)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
German:
Notwehr
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Greek:
αυτοάμυνα
(aftoámyna)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Hungarian:
(jogos) önvédelem
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Indonesian:
pembelaan terpaksa
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Japanese:
正当防衛
(seitō bōei)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Korean:
정당방위
(jeongdangbang'wi)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Macedonian:
самоодбрана
(samoodbrana)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Malay:
pertahanan kendiri
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Polish:
samoobrona
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Portuguese:
autodefesa
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Portuguese:
legítima defesa
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Romanian:
legitimă apărare
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Russian:
самооборо́на
(samooboróna)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Russian:
самозащи́та
(samozaščíta)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Serbo-Croatian:
самоо̀дбрана
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Serbo-Croatian:
самоо̀брана
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Serbo-Croatian:
samoòdbrana
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Serbo-Croatian:
samoòbrana
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Slovak:
sebaobrana
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Spanish:
defensa propia
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Spanish:
legítima defensa
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Swedish:
nödvärn
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Tamil:
தற்காப்பு
(taṟkāppu)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Turkish:
meşru müdafaa
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Ukrainian:
самооборо́на
(samooboróna)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
Ukrainian:
самоза́хист
(samozáxyst)
— law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
