difendendo

Difendendo is the gerund of the Italian verb difendere, meaning “to defend.” It is the present gerund (gerundio presente) and is used to indicate ongoing or simultaneous action, or to describe the manner in which something is done. The form is created by adding the suffix -endo to the verb stem (difendere → difend-endo). As a non-finite verb form, it cannot stand as a finite main verb and normally accompanies a finite verb in a clause or appears in a participial phrase.

Usage is versatile in Italian. It can express means, as in “Difendendo i diritti dei cittadini, l’associazione ha ottenuto supporto pubblico” (By defending the citizens’ rights, the association gained public support); or time, as in “Difendendo la sua posizione, l’avvocato argomentò con dati.” In these examples the implicit subject of the gerundive phrase is usually the same as the subject of the main clause. The English translation commonly renders it as “defending” or “by defending.”

Notes on style: while difendendo is widely understood, some formal contexts prefer explicit subordinate clauses such as “mentre difendeva” to avoid ambiguity or tedium. The word is closely related to the verb difendere and to related terms like difesa (defense) and difendibile (defendable). Overall, difendendo is a standard tool in Italian for linking actions and describing manners or causes within a sentence.