Defense or defence may refer to:

Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups

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 * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks *

Defense industry The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and s ...

, industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology *

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 ...

, the use of force to defend oneself * Haganah (Hebrew for "The Defence"), a paramilitary organization in British Palestine * National security, security of a nation state, its citizens, economy, and institutions, as a duty of government **

Defence diplomacy In international politics, defence diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources and capabilities. Origin of concept Defence diplomacy as an organizing concept for defence-relate ...

, pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources ** Ministry of defence or department of defense, a part of government which regulates the armed forces ** Defence minister, 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) In many team sports, defense (American spelling) or defence ( Commonwealth spelling) is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is ...

, the action of preventing an opponent from scoring **

Defender (association football) In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either ...

, an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring goals **

Defenceman (ice hockey) Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference t ...

, a player, other than the goaltender, in a defensive position ** Defensive batting, a method of avoiding being out in cricket

Law

Defense (legal) In a civil proceeding or criminal prosecution under the common law or under statute, a defendant may raise a defense (or defence) in an effort to avert civil liability or criminal conviction. A defense is put forward by a party to defeat ...

, an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability *

Defence of property The defence of property is a common method of justification used by defendants who argue that they should not be held liable for any loss and injury that they have caused because they were acting to protect their property. English law Gene ...

, 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 of self-defense (also called, when it applies to the defense of another, alter ego defense, defense of others, defense of a third person) is the right for people to use reasonable or defensive force, for the purpose of defending one' ...

, the right for people to use reasonable force to defend themselves

Places

Defence, Karachi The Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi ( ur, ), formerly Pakistan Defence Officers Cooperative Housing Society, is a residential neighbourhood or a housing society located within Clifton Cantonment of Karachi. It was originally establishe ...

, a neighbourhood located within Clifton Cantonment of Karachi, Pakistan * La Défense, a business district near Paris ** The

Grande Arche La Grande Arche de la Défense (; "The Great Arch of the Defense"), originally called La Grande Arche de la Fraternité (; "Fraternity"), is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west ...

, commonly known as Arche de la Défense, near Paris

Other uses

Defense (chess) A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defe ...

, a chess opening by Black * ''Defence'' (ship), name of several ships ** HMS ''Defence'', Royal Navy ships of this name * ''

DeFence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

'', an art project *

Thesis defense A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

, oral examination required for certain advanced degrees *

Defence mechanisms In psychoanalytic theory, a defence mechanism (American English: defense mechanism), is an unconscious psychological operation that functions to protect a person from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and ...

, unconscious psychological mechanisms that reduce anxiety

Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups

Sports

Law

Places

Other uses

See also