LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation

dēfendō

dēfendō (present infinitive dēfendere, perfect active dēfendī, supine dēfēnsum)
Classical[deːˈfɛn.doː]Ecclesiastical[deˈfɛn.do]
№ 653 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to drive away
  2. to defend, guard or protect, to stand up for, to stick up for
    Quam diu quisquam erit qui te defendere audeat, vives, et vives ita ut nunc vivis, multis meis et firmis praesidiis obsessus ne commovere te contra rem publicam possis. Multorum te etiam oculi et aures non sentientem, sicut adhuc fecerunt, speculabuntur atque custodient.As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, you shall live; but you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trusty guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic: many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, though you shall not perceive them.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.6

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

prohibeō nē hostis noceat; scūtō corpus dēfendimus.
dēfendō -ere — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Tueri · Defendere

Tueri (from στοχάζεσθαι) supposes only possible danger, as to protect, in opp. to negligere, Cic. Fin. iv. 14; defendere, an actual attack, as to defend, in opp. to deserere. Hence those that are under age have tutores; those that are accused, defensores. The tuens shows more of carefulness and love, as seeking to prevent danger; the defendens, more of spirit and strength, as resisting danger. (iv. 307.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.dēfendōdēfendēbamdēfendamdēfendīdēfenderamdēfenderō
2nd sg.dēfendisdēfendēbāsdēfendēsdēfendistīdēfenderāsdēfenderis
3rd sg.dēfenditdēfendēbatdēfendetdēfenditdēfenderatdēfenderit
1st pl.dēfendimusdēfendēbāmusdēfendēmusdēfendimusdēfenderāmusdēfenderimus
2nd pl.dēfenditisdēfendēbātisdēfendētisdēfendistisdēfenderātisdēfenderitis
3rd pl.dēfenduntdēfendēbantdēfendentdēfendērunt
dēfendēre		dēfenderantdēfenderint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.dēfendamdēfenderemdēfenderimdēfendissem
2nd sg.dēfendāsdēfenderēsdēfenderīsdēfendissēs
3rd sg.dēfendatdēfenderetdēfenderitdēfendisset
1st pl.dēfendāmusdēfenderēmusdēfenderīmusdēfendissēmus
2nd pl.dēfendātisdēfenderētisdēfenderītisdēfendissētis
3rd pl.dēfendantdēfenderentdēfenderintdēfendissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.dēfendordēfendēbardēfendar
2nd sg.dēfenderis
dēfendere		dēfendēbāris
dēfendēbāre		dēfendēris
dēfendēre
3rd sg.dēfenditurdēfendēbāturdēfendētur
1st pl.dēfendimurdēfendēbāmurdēfendēmur
2nd pl.dēfendiminīdēfendēbāminīdēfendēminī
3rd pl.dēfendunturdēfendēbanturdēfendentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.dēfendardēfenderer
2nd sg.dēfendāris
dēfendāre		dēfenderēris
dēfenderēre
3rd sg.dēfendāturdēfenderētur
1st pl.dēfendāmurdēfenderēmur
2nd pl.dēfendāminīdēfenderēminī
3rd pl.dēfendanturdēfenderentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.dēfendedēfendere
pres. 2nd pl.dēfenditedēfendiminī
fut. 2nd sg.dēfenditōdēfenditor
fut. 3rd sg.dēfenditōdēfenditor
fut. 2nd pl.dēfenditōte—
fut. 3rd pl.dēfenduntōdēfenduntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivedēfenderedēfendī
perfect infinitivedēfendissedēfēnsum esse
future infinitivedēfēnsūrum esse
dēfēnsūra, dēfēnsūrā, dēfēnsūrae, dēfēnsūram, dēfēnsūrārum, dēfēnsūrās, dēfēnsūre, dēfēnsūrī, dēfēnsūrīs, dēfēnsūrō, dēfēnsūrōrum, dēfēnsūrōs, dēfēnsūrum		dēfēnsum īrī
present participledēfendēns
dēfendente, dēfendentem, dēfendentēs, dēfendentī, dēfendentia, dēfendentibus, dēfendentis, dēfendentīs, dēfendentium		—
perfect participle—dēfēnsus
dēfēnsa, dēfēnsā, dēfēnsae, dēfēnsam, dēfēnsārum, dēfēnsās, dēfēnse, dēfēnsī, dēfēnsīs, dēfēnsō, dēfēnsōrum, dēfēnsōs
future participledēfēnsūrus
dēfēnsūra, dēfēnsūrā, dēfēnsūrae, dēfēnsūram, dēfēnsūrārum, dēfēnsūrās, dēfēnsūre, dēfēnsūrī, dēfēnsūrīs, dēfēnsūrō, dēfēnsūrōrum, dēfēnsūrōs, dēfēnsūrum		dēfendendus
dēfendundus
gerunddēfendendī, dēfendendō, dēfendendumsupinedēfēnsum, dēfēnsū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

vi vim illatam defendere
to meet force by force.
causam alicuius defendere
to conduct some one's defence in a case.
bellum (inlatum) defendere
to act on the defensive.
ab iniuria aliquem defendere
to protect any one from wrong.
causam popularem suscipere or defendere
to take up the cause of the people, democratic principles.
iniurias defendere, repellere, propulsare
to repel an injury.
dignitatem suam tueri, defendere, retinere, obtinere
to guard, maintain one's dignity.

dē-fendo, di, sum (
I. infin. pass. parag.: defendier, Verg. A. 8, 493: Juv. 15, 157.— Part. gen. plur. sync.: defendentum, Verg. A. 11, 886), 3, v. a. arch.: FENDO; cf. Sanscr. han (ghan), to smite; Gr. θείνω; hence, also offendo, infensus, infestus, mani-festus; cf. fustis, to fend or ward off any thing hostile or injurious; to repel, avert, keep off: propulsando arcere (for syn. cf.: tueor, tutor, servo, conservo. propugno, protego, vindico, caveo—freq. and class.); regularly constr. with acc. alone (so in Cic. and Caes.); very rarely aliquid (aliquem) ab aliquo, and in poets also aliquid alicui; cf. Zumpt. Gr. § 469.
(a). Aliquid (aliquem): ut tu morbos calamitates intemperiasque prohibessis, defendas averruncesque, Cato R. R. 141, 2: serva cives, defende hostes, cum potes defendere, Enn. ap. Non. 277, 21; cf. bellum (opp. inferre), Caes. B. G. 1, 44, 13; 2, 29 fin.: ad defendendos ictus ac repellendos, id. B. C. 2, 9, 3; cf.: ignis jactus et lapides, id. ib. 2, 2, 4: frigus et solem, Cato R. R. 48, 2; cf.: nimios solis ardores, Cic. de Sen. 15, 53; and frigus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 14; also: sitim fonte et purā lymphā, to quench, Sil. 7, 170: qui non defendit injuriam neque propulsat, Cic. Off. 3, 18, 74; so, injuriam, id. Rosc. Am. 1: noxiam, Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 48: imperatoris sui tribunorumque plebis injurias, Caes. B. C. 1, 7 fin.: vim suorum, id. ib. 3, 110, 4; cf.: vim illatam vi, Cic. Mil. 4: pericula, id. Mur. 3; Tac. A. 13, 56: hunc furorem, Verg. A. 10, 905: dedecus manu, Sil. 13, 99 et saep.: crimen, to answer, defend against an accusation, Liv. 42, 48, 2.—
(b). With ab: (milites) a pinnis hostes defendebant facillime, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 1, 1; cf. ib. 8: hostem a fossa, Hirt. B. G. 8, 9: ignem a tectis, Ov. R. Am. 625.—
(g). Aliquid alicui (cf. arceo, no. II. d.): iniuriam foribus, Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 20: solstitium pecori, Verg. E. 7, 47; cf.: aestatem capellis, Hor. Od. 1, 17, 3; Prop. 1, 20, 11: tela misero, Sil. 17, 432: dedecus morti, id. 5, 490: senium famae, Stat. Th. 9, 318.—
(d). Absol., to put a stop (to a fire), to check the flames: nec quisquam defendere audebat, crebris minis restinguere prohibentium, Tac. A. 15, 38; cf.: urbem incendere, feris in populum immissis, quo difficilius defenderentur, Suet. Ner. 43.—
II. Transf., like prohibere, with acc. of that from which any thing is warded off or averted, to defend, guard, protect, cover.
A. In gen. (so most freq. in all perr. and species of composition), constr. with acc. alone; with acc. and ab aliquo (contra aliquid), or merely ab aliquo; and absol.
(a). With simple acc.: Aeduos ceterosque amicos populi Rom., Caes. B. G. 1, 35 fin.: eos, id. ib. 2, 10, 4; id. B. C. 1, 6, 2: se armis, id. B. G. 6, 34: se manu, id. ib. 5, 7, 8; 6, 40, 6 et saep.: castra, id. ib. 3, 3 fin.; id. B. C. 3, 67, 5; 3, 94, 6 (with tueri): oppidum, id. B. G. 3, 16, 3 et saep.: eum defendo, quem tu accusas, Cic. Sull. 17: aliquem apud praetores, id. Clu. 45, 126: aliquem de ambitu, id. Sull. 2, 6: cf. causam, id. Clu. 27, 74; id. Sull. 31, 86; id. Lael. 25, 96 et passim: d. ac tegere scelus, id. Sull. 31, 86; cf. with protegere, id. ib. 18, 50: justitiam, id. Lael. 7, 25: communem salutem, id. Rep. 1, 1; id. Mur. 2 fin. et saep.: locum, to preserve, maintain, id. Quint. 13, 43; cf.: vicem modo rhetoris atque poëtae, to sustain, Hor. S. 1, 10, 12: actorum partes, id. A. P. 194: aedes Vestae vix defensa est (sc. ab incendio), preserved, Liv. 26, 27.—
(b). Aliquid (aliquem) ab aliquo: Aedui cum se suaque ab iis defendere non possent, Caes. B. G. 1, 11, 2: se a finitimis, id. ib. 2, 31, 5; id. B. C. 1, 75, 3; Sall. C. 45, 4 et saep.: Galliam omnem ab Ariovisti injuria, Caes. B. G. 1, 31 fin.; so, aliquem ab injuria, id. ib. 5, 20, 3; Sall. C. 35 fin.; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 22, 5: se regnumque suum ab Romanorum avaritia, Sall. J. 49, 2: provinciam non modo a calamitate, sed etiam a metu calamitatis, Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 6, 14: Italiam a vastatione, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 15 fin.: vitam ab inimicorum audacia telisque, Cic. Mil. 2 fin.: libertatis causam ab regio praesidio, Liv. 39, 24 et saep.: teneras myrtos a frigore, Verg. E. 7, 6: frondes ab acutae vulnere falcis, a pecoris morsu, Ov. M. 9, 384 et saep.—
(g). With ab aliquo: quod et ab incendio lapis et ab ariete materia defendit, Caes. B. G. 7, 23, 5; so id. B. C. 1, 25 fin.; 3, 63, 7.—
(d). Aliquem (aliquid) contra, or adversus aliquem: me scio a te contra iniquos meos solere defendi, Cic. Fam. 11, 27, 7: sese adversus populum Romanum defendere, id. Phil. 1, 6, 13: me adversus Abrupolim, Liv. 42, 41, 10; Just. 2, 4, 32; Suet. Caes. 71; Liv. 5, 35, 4: auctoritatem contra invidiam, Cic. Phil, 8, 4; 13, 11; id. Fam. 5, 2, 6; id. Sest. 67, 141; 23, 51; 52, 111; id. Phil. 2, 18, 45.—(ε) Absol.: filii qui et sentire et defendere possent, Cic. Rosc. Am. 23, 64 fin.: cum jam defenderet nemo, Caes. B. G. 2, 33, 6: defendentibus civibus Romanis, id. B. C. 3, 40, 6; cf. in the abl. absol., id. B. G. 2, 12, 3; id. B. C. 3, 68 fin.; Cic. Lael. 25, 96 et saep.: quibus eae partes ad defendendum obvenerunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 81 fin. —
B. In partic.
1. Of speech, to defend, support, maintain; to bring forward, allege in defence (so repeatedly in Cic.; elsewhere rare).
(a). With acc.: (Carneades) nullam umquam in illis suis disputationibus rem defendit, quam non probarit, Cic. de Or. 2, 38 fin.; cf. id. Fam. 4, 14: me id maxime defendisse, ut, etc., have chiefly striven for, id. Rosc. Am. 47; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 37; 2, 5, 58.—
(b). With acc. and inf.: gravissimeque et verissime defenditur, numquam aequitatem ab utilitate posse sejungi, etc., Cic. Fin. 3, 21, 71; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 90 fin.; id. Tull. 13, 32: ille nihil ex his sponte susceptum sed principi paruisse defendebat, Tac. A. 13, 43: sed id solitum esse fieri defendebat, Gell. 10, 19; so with verb pass. and inf., Cic. Inv. 2, 32 init.—
(g). With a relative clause: (quae turpitudines) cur non cadant in sapientem, non est facile defendere, Cic. Fin. 2, 35, 117. —
2. In the later jurid. Lat., to claim, vindicate, or prosecute at law: quia libertatem et hereditatem ex testamento sibi defendebat, Dig. 5, 3, 7: si patris mortem defendere necesse habuerit, i. e. legally to avenge his death, ib. 38, 2, 14, § 7; 48, 2, 11.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindēfendō

Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-dʰh₁eti Proto-Indo-European *-dʰeti Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰéndʰeti Proto-Italic *xʷendō Proto-Italic *fendō Latin *fendō Latin dēfendo From dē- + *fendō (“hit, thrust”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (“to strike, to kill”). Compare offendō.

Descendants
  • Catalandefendre
  • Catalandefensar
  • Englishdefend
  • Frenchdéfendre
  • Italiandifendere
  • Occitandefendre
  • Portuguesedefensar
  • Portuguesedefender
  • Spanishdefender
  • Spanishdefensar

Quick answers

What does dēfendō mean in Latin?
dēfendō, a verb, means “to drive away; to defend, guard or protect, to stand up for, to stick up for”.
What are the principal parts of dēfendō?
dēfendō, dēfendere, dēfendī, dēfēnsum (third conjugation).
How do you pronounce dēfendō?
In classical Latin, [deːˈfɛn.doː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [deˈfɛn.do].
Where does dēfendō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *de → Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ → Proto-Italic *dē → Latin dēfendō.