Defense

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 industry, industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology
 * Self-defense, 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, 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), 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
 * 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

 * The Defence (TV series), a 2018 Polish television series
 * Defense (chess), a chess opening by Black
 * Defence (ship), name of several ships
 * HMS Defence, Royal Navy ships of this name
 * Thesis defense, oral examination required for certain advanced degrees
 * Defence mechanisms, unconscious psychological mechanisms that reduce anxiety