<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a person who defends someone or something from attack, assault, or injury: We commemorate the brave defenders of this fort.</li><li>Law: an attorney for a defendant, especially a public defender: the systemwide benefits of effective defenders.</li><li>a person who supports an argument, theory, thesis, etc., in the face of criticism or challenging questions: defenders of gay rights.</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li></ul>