English Lexicon

Self-Defensive

/ˌsɛlf.dɪˈfɛnsɪv/
adjectiveCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Relating to actions taken to protect oneself from harm or danger.

    "The self-defensive measures taken by the community helped to reduce crime rates."
  2. 2

    Characterized by a defensive posture or attitude.

    "His self-defensive remarks indicated his discomfort with the criticism."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'self-defensive' combines the prefix 'self-' from Old English 'seolf', meaning 'one's own', with 'defensive', derived from Latin 'defensivus', which means 'serving to defend'. The term has evolved to describe actions or measures taken to protect oneself from harm.

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