different between safeguard vs defence

English

Etymology

From Middle English savegard, from Middle French sauvegarde, from Old French salve garde, sauve garde, reconstructed as safe +? guard.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?se?f???(?)d/

Noun

safeguard (plural safeguards)

1. Something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense.

2. One who, or that which, defends or protects; defence; protection.
   • 1726, George Granville, To the King, in the First Year of His Majesty’s Reign

     Thy sword, the safeguard of thy brother's throne.

3. A safe-conduct or passport, especially in time of war.
4. (obsolete) The monitor lizard.
   • 1844, The Animal Kingdom

     The same idea is entertained of the Safeguard in America, as of the Monitor in Africa, and other parts of the Old World, […]

Translations

Verb

safeguard (third-person singular simple present safeguards, present participle safeguarding, simple past and past participle safeguarded)

1. To protect, to keep safe.
2. To escort safely.

Translations

Anagrams

• saufgarde

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.