defensive

defensive is a 9-letter English word with 7 senses as adjective and noun in the JumbleFix dictionary. One common meaning is: Serving to defend or protect; proper for defense; opposed to offensive; as, defensive armor. Face value is 16 in Scrabble and 18 in Words With Friends. Use the entries below when you need a playable sense, a nearby word, or another arrangement of the same letters.

9 letters · Scrabble 16 · Words With Friends 18 · 7 senses

Definitions

1. adjective. Serving to defend or protect; proper for defense; opposed to offensive; as, defensive armor.
2. adjective. Carried on by resisting attack or aggression; -- opposed to offensive; as, defensive war.
3. adjective. In a state or posture of defense.
4. noun. That which defends; a safeguard.
5. noun. an attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive')
6. adjective. intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack

   "defensive weapons"

   "a defensive stance"

7. adjective. attempting to justify or defend in speech or writing

   Synonyms: justificative, justificatory

Synonyms

justificative, justificatory

Common word forms

defensives, defensively, defensiveness

Words from these letters

If you are holding these tiles, the unscrambler for DEFENSIVE lists every valid word you can make from the same letters, including shorter plays.