0 to protect someone or something against attack or criticism; to speak in favour of someone or something: --
1 to act as a lawyer for someone who has been accused of something in a court of law and try to prove that they are not guilty : --
2 to compete in a sports competition that you won before and try to win it again: --
4 (in sports) to try to prevent the opposition from scoring points in a competition, or to guard a goal or other position: --
5 to protect someone or something against attack, criticism, or loss: --
Against what or whom do standards need to be defended ?
He was as aggressive as the poet when it came to defending territory.
She screams, defending herself, and the hidden counsellor shouts in panic.
The right to ask questions about community nursing practice as a discipline must be defended.
We accept, therefore, that we face an onus of proof in defending our definition - an onus that we cannot fully meet in this article.
At the same time, both the press and the courts provided alternative strategies for defending reputations.
He defends this thesis against several compelling objections.
The point is that these practices cannot seriously be defended on grounds of popular sovereignty.
