Defensive in Different Languages
Discover 'Defensive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'defensive' holds great significance in our daily lives, often used to describe a protective stance or action. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, from sports to military strategies, and even in our interpersonal relationships. Understanding the concept of defensiveness in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures approach protection and self-preservation.
For instance, in Spanish, 'defensivo' reflects a proactive approach to guarding oneself or others. Meanwhile, in German, 'defensiv' can also imply a cautious or careful attitude. These nuances highlight the cultural differences in how we perceive and respond to potential threats.
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'defensive' in multiple languages can be beneficial for those working in international relations, diplomacy, or even in travel and tourism. It can foster better communication and understanding among people of different backgrounds.
Here are some translations of the word 'defensive' to pique your interest:
Defensive
Defensive in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verdedigend | ||
| 'Verdedigend' comes from the old French word 'deffendant', meaning 'denying'. | |||
| Amharic | መከላከያ | ||
| The word "መከላከያ" can also mean "protection" or "cover" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | kare | ||
| The word "kare" has an alternate meaning of "guard" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | agbachitere | ||
| Agbachitere, also meaning "protection" or "shield", derives from "gba": "defend" & "chitere": "shield" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fiarovana | ||
| The word 'fiarovana' can also refer to protection or security | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chodzitchinjiriza | ||
| The word 'chodzitchinjiriza' in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the verb 'kuchodza' (to defend) and the noun 'chinjiriza' (shield), and literally means 'that which defends'. | |||
| Shona | kudzivirira | ||
| The word 'kudzivirira' can also mean 'to protect' or 'to keep away'. | |||
| Somali | difaacid | ||
| The Somali word | |||
| Sesotho | ho itšireletsa | ||
| The word "ho itšireletsa" can also mean "to be protected" or "to be shielded" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kujihami | ||
| In Kiswahili, “kujihami” originates from the verb “kuhami,” meaning “to enclose” or “to protect.” | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzikhusela | ||
| "Ukuzikhusela" can mean both "defensive" (as in sports) and "self-defense". | |||
| Yoruba | igbeja | ||
| "Igbeja" in Yoruba can also mean "a kind of drum" or "a praise singer." | |||
| Zulu | ukuzivikela | ||
| The word ukuzivikela is derived from the verb ukuzivikela, which means to protect oneself. | |||
| Bambara | lafasali la | ||
| Ewe | ametakpɔkpɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwirwanaho | ||
| Lingala | ya kobundisa | ||
| Luganda | okuzibiriza | ||
| Sepedi | go itšhireletša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | defensive a wɔde bɔ wɔn ho ban | ||
Defensive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | دفاعي | ||
| The Arabic word "دفاعي" can also be translated as "protective" or "apologetic." | |||
| Hebrew | הֲגַנָתִי | ||
| Pashto | دفاعي | ||
| The Pashto word "دفاعي" can also refer to a defensive structure, such as a fort or fortification. | |||
| Arabic | دفاعي | ||
| The Arabic word "دفاعي" can also be translated as "protective" or "apologetic." | |||
Defensive in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbrojtëse | ||
| The word "mbrojtëse" in Albanian also means "protector" or "defense". | |||
| Basque | defentsiboa | ||
| "Defentsiboa" comes from the Latin "defensivus". | |||
| Catalan | defensiva | ||
| The word "defensiva" in Catalan also means "defiance" or "opposition". | |||
| Croatian | obrambeni | ||
| The Croatian word "obrambeni" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "oboriti", meaning "to knock down". | |||
| Danish | defensiv | ||
| The Danish word "defensiv" also has the meaning of "weak" or "unprotected". | |||
| Dutch | verdedigend | ||
| In Dutch, "verdedigend" can also mean "defending a lawsuit". | |||
| English | defensive | ||
| The word "defensive" can also refer to a position or attitude that is intended to protect or defend someone or something | |||
| French | défensive | ||
| In French, "défensive" can also mean a stance or attitude, such as in "être sur la défensive" (to be on the defensive). | |||
| Frisian | definsyf | ||
| In Frisian, "definsyf" has alternate meanings including "defence" and "defensively". | |||
| Galician | defensiva | ||
| In Galician, "defensiva" also means "the place where a defensive structure is located or built." | |||
| German | defensive | ||
| Defensiv comes from the late Latin word defendere, which itself derives from the verb fendere meaning to strike. | |||
| Icelandic | í vörn | ||
| "í vörn" literally translates to "in defense" in Icelandic and it can also refer to a situation where someone is being or has been defended. | |||
| Irish | cosantach | ||
| The word "cosantach" in Irish can also mean "protecting" or "defending". | |||
| Italian | difensiva | ||
| "Difensiva" can also be used as a noun to refer to a defensive strategy or tactic, or to the act of defending oneself. | |||
| Luxembourgish | defensiv | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "defensiv" can also mean "protective" or "shielding". | |||
| Maltese | difensiv | ||
| The Maltese word "difensiv" can also mean "protective" or "defending". | |||
| Norwegian | defensiv | ||
| In Norwegian, "defensiv" can also mean "defensively". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | defensiva | ||
| In Portuguese, "defensiva" can also mean "back cover" or "backboard" in sports. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dìonach | ||
| "dìonach" in Scots Gaelic comes from "dìon", meaning "protection". It can also refer to "a protective barrier" or "a fortress". | |||
| Spanish | defensivo | ||
| The word "defensivo" (defensive) in Spanish comes from the Latin word "defendere" (to defend), which is related to the word "fendere" (to ward off or strike). | |||
| Swedish | defensiv | ||
| The word 'defensiv' can also mean 'protective' or 'guarding' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | amddiffynnol | ||
| The word "amddiffynnol" also refers to a person or thing that is designed to defend. | |||
Defensive in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абарончы | ||
| The Belarusian term "абарончы" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "oboroniti", which means "to protect" or "to defend". | |||
| Bosnian | defanzivno | ||
| The word 'defanzivno' is derived from Latin 'defensus', meaning protected. | |||
| Bulgarian | отбранителна | ||
| The word "отбранителна" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "отбранити" meaning "to defend". | |||
| Czech | obranný | ||
| "Obranný" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *oborъ (< *ob-orъ), meaning "defense" or "fence". | |||
| Estonian | kaitsev | ||
| The Estonian word "kaitsev" not only means "defensive" but also has connotations of "protection" or "preservation". | |||
| Finnish | puolustava | ||
| In addition to its meaning as 'defensive', 'puolustava' in Finnish can also mean 'supportive' or 'advocating for'. | |||
| Hungarian | védekező | ||
| "Védekező" means "to defend" and also "to be immune". In some contexts "védekező" means "to defend" but in another context, it can also mean "to be immune". | |||
| Latvian | aizsardzības | ||
| The word "aizsardzības" in Latvian also refers to the legal protection of rights and interests. | |||
| Lithuanian | gynybinis | ||
| "Gynybinis" comes from the Lithuanian word "gynyba," which means "defense". | |||
| Macedonian | одбранбени | ||
| The word "одбранбени" can also mean "defensive" in the context of sports. | |||
| Polish | obronny | ||
| In Polish, the word "obronny" can also mean "protective" or "guardian". | |||
| Romanian | defensivă | ||
| The Romanian word "defensivă" comes from the French word "défensif", which in turn comes from the Latin word "defensus", meaning "protected". | |||
| Russian | оборонительный | ||
| "Оборонительный" comes from "оборона" ("defense"), itself from the verb "оборонить" ("to defend"), that comes from "оборт" ("turn, revolution"), ultimately from Proto-Slavic *obvorъti, cognate with "vertigo" in Latin, "vortex" in English, and "wirbel" in German - all referring to spinning or circular motion. | |||
| Serbian | одбрамбени | ||
| The word "одбрамбени" ("defensive") in Serbian is derived from the Slavic root "*braniti" ("to defend"), and is related to the words "брана" ("defense") and "бранити се" ("to defend oneself"). | |||
| Slovak | obranný | ||
| The word "obranný" in Slovak can also mean "protective" or "fortified". | |||
| Slovenian | obrambni | ||
| The word 'obrambni' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *oboroniti, meaning 'to defend'. | |||
| Ukrainian | оборонний | ||
| "Оборонний" is also used to describe something that is intended to protect or defend against harm or attack. | |||
Defensive in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আত্মরক্ষামূলক | ||
| আত্মরক্ষামূলক শব্দটির আক্ষরিক অর্থ হল নিজেকে আত্মরক্ষা করা। | |||
| Gujarati | રક્ષણાત્મક | ||
| The word "રક્ષણાત્મક" derives from the Sanskrit word "रक्ष्" (rakṣa), meaning "to protect or guard", and is used in Gujarati to refer to measures taken to defend or safeguard something. | |||
| Hindi | बचाव | ||
| "बचाव" can also refer to an object that provides protection, such as a talisman. | |||
| Kannada | ರಕ್ಷಣಾತ್ಮಕ | ||
| In Kannada terminology, the word also implies protection, shield or prevention. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രതിരോധ | ||
| The word 'പ്രതിരോധ' originates from Sanskrit and can also mean 'resistance', 'prevention', or 'protection' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | बचावात्मक | ||
| The word “बचावात्मक” (defensive) is derived from the Sanskrit word “बचाव” (defense), which means 'to protect' or 'to guard'. | |||
| Nepali | रक्षात्मक | ||
| रक्षात्मक can also mean 'protective', 'precautionary' or 'safeguarding'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੱਖਿਆਤਮਕ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආරක්ෂක | ||
| In its original Pali form, the word “ආරක්ෂක” simply means “a protector”. However, in Sinhala it has come to take on a more specific meaning of “defensive”. This shift in meaning is likely due to the influence of the English word “defensive”, which has a similar meaning. | |||
| Tamil | தற்காப்பு | ||
| The word 'தற்காப்பு' also means 'self-preservation' or 'self-protection' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | రక్షణాత్మక | ||
| Urdu | دفاعی | ||
| The word "دفاعی" can also mean "protective" or "preservative" in Urdu. | |||
Defensive in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 防御性 | ||
| 防御性在生物学中还指生物体防御外来入侵的能力，如免疫系统抵抗病原体的入侵。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 防禦性 | ||
| 『防禦性』源自法語défensif，原意為「保護、捍衛」，後來引申為「防衛的、防禦性的」。 | |||
| Japanese | 防御的 | ||
| The word "防御的" can also mean "defensive attitude" or "defensive position" | |||
| Korean | 방어적인 | ||
| "방어적인" can also mean "protective" or "cautious". | |||
| Mongolian | хамгаалалт | ||
| The word "хамгаалалт" (defensive) in Mongolian is derived from the verb "хамгаалах" (to defend), which in turn comes from the noun "хамга" (shield). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခုခံကာကွယ် | ||
Defensive in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | defensif | ||
| "Defensif" in Indonesian also translates to "defenseless" and "fortified". | |||
| Javanese | pertahanan | ||
| "Pertahanan" in Javanese may also refer to "the act of parrying a blow". | |||
| Khmer | ការពារ | ||
| The word "ការពារ" can also mean "protection" or "shelter" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ປ້ອງກັນ | ||
| Malay | bertahan | ||
| "Bertahan" also means to endure or to persist. | |||
| Thai | การป้องกัน | ||
| The word "การป้องกัน" (defensive) also means "protection" or "prevention" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | phòng ngự | ||
| The Vietnamese word "phòng ngự" can also mean "to protect" or "to defend". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nagtatanggol | ||
Defensive in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müdafiə | ||
| Müdafiə'nın kökeni Arapça 'müdafa' kelimesidir ve 'savunma' anlamına gelir. | |||
| Kazakh | қорғаныс | ||
| The word "қорғаныс" can also refer to a defensive structure or fortification. | |||
| Kyrgyz | коргонуу | ||
| The word "коргонуу" derives from the verb "корго", meaning "to protect". It can also mean "to prevent" or "to forbid". | |||
| Tajik | мудофиа | ||
| The Tajik word "мудофиа" also has the meaning of "protection" and is derived from the Persian word "دفاع" meaning "defense". | |||
| Turkmen | goranmak | ||
| Uzbek | mudofaa | ||
| Mudofaa also means 'protection' in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | مۇداپىئە | ||
Defensive in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pale pale ʻana | ||
| 'Pale paleʻana' is derived from 'pale,' meaning 'to reject,' 'to refuse,' or 'to resist.' | |||
| Maori | ārai | ||
| Maori word "ārai" can also mean "to ward off" or "to intercept." | |||
| Samoan | puipuiga | ||
| Samoan "puipuiga" also means "hiding" or "sheltering". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nagtatanggol | ||
| In the Philippine legal context, "nagtatanggol" has additional meanings relating to criminal procedure. | |||
Defensive in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arxatañataki | ||
| Guarani | defensivo rehegua | ||
Defensive in International Languages
| Esperanto | defenda | ||
| The word "defenda" can also come from the English or French word "defendant" which refers to the person being accused as opposed to the accuser.} | |||
| Latin | positis munitionibus | ||
| The phrase "positis munitionibus" literally translates to "positions having been fortified" | |||
Defensive in Others Languages
| Greek | αμυντικός | ||
| The word 'αμυντικός' is derived from the verb 'αμύνω', which means 'to ward off'. | |||
| Hmong | kev tiv thaiv | ||
| The word "kev tiv thaiv" is derived from the root "kev" meaning "to prevent" and "tiv thaiv" meaning "to avoid or evade". | |||
| Kurdish | xweparêz | ||
| The word “xweparêz” is also used as an alternative to the word “defensive” in the context of tactics or military strategy. | |||
| Turkish | savunma | ||
| The Turkish word "savunma" also has the meanings "apologia" and "thesis". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzikhusela | ||
| "Ukuzikhusela" can mean both "defensive" (as in sports) and "self-defense". | |||
| Yiddish | דעפענסיווע | ||
| The Yiddish word "דעפענסיווע" (defensive) comes from the German word "defensiv". | |||
| Zulu | ukuzivikela | ||
| The word ukuzivikela is derived from the verb ukuzivikela, which means to protect oneself. | |||
| Assamese | ডিফেন্সিভ | ||
| Aymara | arxatañataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | रक्षात्मक बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑިފެންސިވް ގޮތަކަށެވެ | ||
| Dogri | रक्षात्मक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nagtatanggol | ||
| Guarani | defensivo rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | depensa nga | ||
| Krio | difensiv wan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرگریکردن | ||
| Maithili | रक्षात्मक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯤꯐꯦꯟꯁꯀꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | defensive lam a ni | ||
| Oromo | ittisa irratti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିରକ୍ଷା | ||
| Quechua | defensivo nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | रक्षात्मकः | ||
| Tatar | оборона | ||
| Tigrinya | ምክልኻላዊ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ku sirhelela | ||