Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
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Defense (military)
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
, forces primarily intended for warfare
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Civil defense
Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...
, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
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Defense industry, industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology
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Self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
, the use of force to defend oneself
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Haganah
Haganah ( he, הַהֲגָנָה, lit. ''The Defence'') was the main Zionist paramilitary organization of the Jewish population ("Yishuv") in Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and its disestablishment in 1948, when it became the core of the ...
(Hebrew for "The Defence"), a paramilitary organization in British Palestine
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National security
National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...
, security of a nation state, its citizens, economy, and institutions, as a duty of government
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Defence diplomacy, pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources
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Ministry of defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
or department of defense, a part of government which regulates the armed forces
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Defence minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
, a cabinet position in charge of a ministry of defense
* International security, measures taken by states and international organizations to ensure mutual survival and safety
Sports
* Defense (sports), the action of preventing an opponent from scoring
** Defender (association football), an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring goals
** Defenceman (ice hockey), a player, other than the goaltender, in a defensive position
** Batting (cricket)#Defensive shot, Defensive batting, a method of avoiding being out in cricket
Law
* Defense (legal), an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability
* Defence of property, argument that a defendant should not be held liable for any loss caused while acting to protect their property
* Right of self-defense, the right for people to use reasonable force to defend themselves
Places
* Defence, Karachi, a neighbourhood located within Clifton Cantonment of Karachi, Pakistan
* La Défense, a business district near Paris
** The Grande Arche, commonly known as Arche de la Défense, near Paris
Other uses
* Defense (chess), a chess opening by Black
* Defence (ship), ''Defence'' (ship), name of several ships
** HMS Defence, HMS ''Defence'', Royal Navy ships of this name
* ''DeFence'', an art project
* Thesis defense, oral examination required for certain advanced degrees
* Defence mechanisms, unconscious psychological mechanisms that reduce anxiety
See also
* Defender (disambiguation)
* Biological defense (disambiguation)
* National defense (disambiguation)
* Protection (disambiguation)
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{{disambiguation
Defense,