defensively
UK/dɪˈfɛnsɪvli/
defensively adverb: in a defensive manner.
Adverb
defensively (comparative more defensively, superlative most defensively)
- In a defensive manner.
- This is a particularly disruptive tactic if the opponent also prefers an offensive style and has difficulty fighting defensively or counteroffensively.1993, Black Belt, volume 31, number 1, page 48
- England, defensively, were not good enough - nowhere near the standard that would be acceptable at the highest international level.2019 September 10, Phil McNulty, “'England horribly fallible in defence' against Kosovo in Euro 2020 qualifying”, in BBC Sport
defensively meaning in Bengali
defensively in Bengali
- প্রতিরক্ষামূলকভাবে
Forms of defensively
| comparative | more defensively |
|---|---|
| superlative | most defensively |
| alternative form (nonstandard, archaic) | defencively |
Origin of defensively
From defensive + -ly.
Words formed from defensively
Questions about defensively
- What does defensively mean?
- Defensively means in a defensive manner.
- What is defensively in Bengali?
- Defensively in Bengali is প্রতিরক্ষামূলকভাবে. See Defensively meaning in Bengali.
- What part of speech is defensively?
- Defensively is an adverb.
- How do you pronounce defensively?
- Defensively is pronounced /dɪˈfɛnsɪvli/ (UK).
Words near defensively in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: defensively (page history and authors); defensively (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-defensively.wav.
Cite this entry: “defensively.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/defensively. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.