Meaning & use
self-defense
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Protecting yourself from attack or harm, often by physical techniques.
Grammar: No article or plural: she teaches self-defense.
Patterns
- a self-defense class
- self-defense skills
The community center offers a self-defense class for teenagers.
She learned self-defense after moving to a big city.
Martial arts can build confidence as well as self-defense skills.
noununcountablelaw
The legal right to use reasonable force to protect yourself from an attack.
Grammar: Often follows in or as: he acted in self-defense.
Patterns
- act in self-defense
- claim self-defense
The man said he acted in self-defense.
The jury accepted her claim of self-defense.
Common combinations
- in self-defense
- He shot only in self-defense.
- self-defense class
- She signed up for a self-defense class.
- claim self-defense
- The defendant claimed self-defense.
- teach self-defense
- He teaches self-defense on weekends.
- act in self-defense
- Police believe he acted in self-defense.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-protection
- Self-protection is broader and can mean safeguarding yourself from any harm, not only attack.
- protection
- Protection is general and can be provided by others, while self-defense means protecting yourself.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: self-defense or self-defence?
self-defense vs self-defence
This is the British spelling of the same word, not a different word.
Practice
The shopkeeper said he hit the thief only ___.
Choose one answer.
The set phrase is in self-defense. The other prepositions are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-defense”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.