Where does “protective” come from?

Protective comes from Latin protectus, the past participle of protegere meaning "to cover or shield," formed from pro- "forward" and tegere "to cover," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning protection and covering.

protective (English): serving, intended or wishing to protect;...

Definitions

  1. serving, intended or wishing to protect;...

Ancestry of “protective”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinprōtēctīvus

Words derived from “protective

Every word from Medieval Latin prōtēctīvus
protective — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer