defends

Defends is the third-person singular present tense of the verb defend. It is used to describe an act of protection, whether physical, legal, or argumentative. In physical contexts, someone or something defends a person or place by guarding it from danger. In rhetorical or legal contexts, a person defends a claim or a client by presenting supporting evidence or arguments. Common constructions include "X defends Y" and "X defends against Z." Examples: The army defends the city; She defends her position in the debate; The lawyer defends the accused in court.

Origin and forms: Defend comes from the Latin defendere, from de- (away) + fend- (to strike or resist). The present tense adds -s in the third person singular, yielding defends. The related noun forms are defense (American English) or defence (British English). The past tense is defended, and the present participle is defending.

Usage notes: Defends is a versatile verb across domains, including law, sports, and everyday protection. In academic writing, "defend" is used to support a thesis or position; in legal writing, "defend" describes representing a client. It is distinct from defense as a noun and from defensive as an adjective. See also: defense, defence, defender, defensive.