different between defence vs excusation

English

Alternative forms

• defense (American)

Etymology

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Latin d?fensa (“protection”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??f?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Noun

defence (countable and uncountable, plural defences) (British spelling)

1. The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
   • c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act II, Scene 4,^[1]

     In cases of defence ’tis best to weigh

     The enemy more mighty than he seems:

2. Something used to oppose attacks.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 12,^[2]

     And nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defence

     Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

3. An argument in support or justification of something.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 89,^[3]

     Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,

     Against thy reasons making no defence.
4. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
5. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
6. Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.

7. (obsolete) Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
   • 1673, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Advancement of Trade in Ireland” in Miscellanea, London: Edw[ard] Gellibrand, 1680, p. 116,^[5]

     […] severe defences may be made against weaving any Linnen under a certain breadth, such as may be of better use to the poorest People […]

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:defence

Antonyms

• offence (Commonwealth), offense (US)

Usage notes

The noun spelling is mainly used in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, defense is more commonly used in America.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

defence (third-person singular simple present defences, present participle defencing, simple past and past participle defenced)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To furnish with defences; to fortify.
   • 1656, John Hales, Dixi Custodiam

     Better manned and more strongly defenced.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French excusation, from Latin exc?s?ti?, from exc?s? (“I excuse”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??kskju?ze???n/

Noun

excusation (plural excusations)

1. (obsolete) The act of offering an excuse or apology, or the fact of being excused; an excuse, a defence.
   • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, I.2:

     And his goodness is to be admired, that it refuted not his argument in the punishment of his excusation, and only pursued the first transgression without a penalty of this the second.

Related terms

• excuse