the defense

noun

law
: the lawyer or lawyers who represent the defendant in a court case
The defense rests, Your Honor.

Examples of the defense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Teams have to be licking their chops after seeing what Tampa Bay did to Dallas last Thursday night, especially considering the defense (or lack thereof) that the Cowboys have shown through five weeks. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 During last month's Águila Alta operation in the Tijuana-San Diego area, the defense ministry said Mexican forces neutralized five drones, detained one person and seized a gun, magazines and ammunition. — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of Capone’s extravagant lifestyle, while the defense argued that Capone’s expenses and gambling losses outpaced his income. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026 Prior to that role, Jenkins was a graduate assistant for two seasons, primarily working with the defense. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the defense

Rhymes for the defense

See All Rhymes for the defense

Browse Nearby Words

the Deep South
the defense
the degree to which
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20defense. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All