Dictionary formdefendo, defendere, defendi, defensum
Translation
defend, protect; ward off
Test yourself on defendo
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Examples
.
The wall defends the city.
.
We must defend our homeland.
.
The soldiers defended the camp stoutly.
.
They defend themselves from the enemy.
.
I shall defend my friend's case in the forum.
Defendo, defendere, defendi, defensum, third conjugation. Note the supine stem: defens-, not defend-, which is where defensor and English defence come from.
The core idea is warding a thing off, and the older construction still shows it: defendere aliquid ab aliquo, keep something away from someone. "Defend" is really the by-product of that. In the courts it is the standard verb for arguing a case, causam defendere, and the legal sense is as common in Cicero as the military one. Related offendo is the same verb with a different prefix and the opposite manners.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
Latin · Free printables
defendo: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "defendo" (defend, protect; ward off): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 10, lesson 10: defendo, surgo, occidens and 7 more words.