defensa
/deˈfensa/feminine
The English word 'defense' is translated into Spanish as defensa.
defensa refers to the action of protecting from attack. The phrase defensa personal is used to mean 'self-defense' and in an academic context, defensa de la tesis refers to the oral defense of a thesis.
Meaning: action of protecting from attack (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
defensa is a feminine noun. The plural form of defensa is defensas.
How do you pronounce it?
/deˈfensa/
Did you know?
- The word defensa is a doublet of dehesa, which refers to a type of Mediterranean pastureland. Both words evolved from the same Latin root meaning 'defended' or 'bounded'.
- In Spanish, defensa can refer to a physical bumper on a car. This use extends the idea of 'protection' to the structural components that protect a vehicle from impact.
- In a sports context, el defensa is the noun used for a defender, such as a center-back in football.
Examples in context
- La mejor defensa es un buen ataque.Attack is the best form of defense.Tatoeba #514315 by Shishir, translation #240888 by CK
- Deberías aprender defensa personal.You should learn self-defense.This sentence shows how to use defensa in the phrase for 'self-defense'.Tatoeba #2492094 by marcelostockle, translation #2060309 by CK
- Mañana tengo mi defensa de la tesis.I have my thesis defense tomorrow.This sentence shows how to use defensa when referring to an academic thesis defense.Tatoeba #10795641 by Curro, translation #12945675 by araneo
- El abogado presentó una sólida defensa en el juicioThe lawyer presented a solid defense in the trial
- El gobierno está garantizando la protección de nuestras fronterasThe government is ensuring the defense of our borders
- El abogado presentó una sólida defensa en el juicio. Convenció al jurado con buenos argumentos y pruebas contundentesThe lawyer presented a solid defense in the trial. He convinced the jury with strong arguments and compelling evidence
- La defensa del país es responsabilidad del ejército. Ellos se encargan de proteger nuestras fronterasThe defense of the country is the responsibility of the army. They are in charge of protecting our borders
- No te preocupes, estamos contigo. Vamos a hacer una buena defensa en este proyectoDon't worry, we're with you. We're going to put up a strong defense in this project
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are discussing a professional soccer match.
- Lucía¿Viste el partido de ayer?Did you see yesterday's match?
- DanielSí, pero su defensa fue muy mala.Yes, but their defense was very bad.
- LucíaTienes razón, Daniel, jugaron fatal.You're right, Daniel, they played terribly.
- DanielNecesitan mejorar esa defensa urgentemente.They need to improve that defense urgently.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “defense” translations and entries defensa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries defensa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
