Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “defensive” come from?

Defensive comes from Middle French défensif, meaning related to defense or protecting.

defensive (English): Intended for defence; protective; Intended to...

Definitions

  1. Intended for defence; protective; Intended to...

Ancestry of “defensive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdéfensif—

Words derived from “defensive”

  • defensively
  • defensiveness
  • nondefensive
  • nondefensively
  • undefensive
  • indefensive
  • overdefensive
  • hyperdefensive
  • indefensively
  • immunodefensive
Every word from Middle French défensif →