The meaning of DEFENSIVE is serving to defend or protect. How to use defensive in a sentence.

Nov 10, 2022 · To be defensive is to react with an overprotective mentality so a situation that perhaps doesn't warrant it. Defensiveness is an impulsive and reactive mode of responding to …

If someone is defensive, the person feels criticized and quickly tries to explain:

Defensive definition: serving to defend; protective.. See examples of DEFENSIVE used in a sentence.

2. of or pertaining to defense. 3. sensitive to the threat of criticism or injury to one's ego. n. 4. a position or attitude of defense: on the defensive about one's mistakes.

Sep 22, 2025 · defensive (comparative more defensive, superlative most defensive) Intended for defence; protective.

Defensive definition: Of or relating to defense.

Mar 3, 2025 · When it comes to "defencive" versus "defensive," you might feel unsure. So, which one is correct? The right way to spell it is defensive. This is the form you’ll see in dictionaries …

1 day ago · Find out where every NBA team ranks on defense for the 2025-26 season.

Someone who is defensive is behaving in a way that shows they feel unsure or threatened. Like their children, parents are often defensive about their private lives. She heard the blustering, …