Defensively

How to spell defensively

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce defensively

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does defensively mean?

1. adverbIn a manner intended to protect against attack, criticism, or harm, often by guarding oneself rather than taking the initiative.

Defensively in a sentence

• He reacted defensively when his report was questioned in the meeting.

• The team played defensively for the final ten minutes to protect their lead.

Where does defensively come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin verb defendere, which meant 'to ward off' or 'to protect', built from the prefix de- ('away') and the verb fendere ('to strike or hit'). The same fendere root, which by itself meant a blow or a striking, also gives us 'offend' and 'fence', the last of which is simply a clipped form of 'defence'. English took the verb 'defend' through Old French defendre during the 1200s, and from the adjective 'defensive' (recorded by the late 1300s) the adverb 'defensively' was later formed with the familiar -ly ending. The spelling keeps the soft s sound spelled with an s rather than a c, which is why 'defensive' and 'defensively' look the same on both sides of the Atlantic even though the noun splits into British 'defence' and American 'defense'. Remembering that the adjective family always uses s, never c, is the main thing that keeps the spelling steady.

How the word is built

• de- (off, away)
• fend (from Latin fendere: to strike or ward off)
• -ive (forming an adjective)
• -ly (forming an adverb)