protect
verb
pro·tect prə-ˈtekt 
protected; protecting; protects
transitive verb
1
a
: to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction : guard
b
: defend sense 1c
protect the goal
2
: to maintain the status or integrity of especially through financial or legal guarantees: such as
a
: to save from contingent financial loss
b
: to foster or shield from infringement or restriction
salesmen with protected territories
protect one's rights
specifically : to restrict competition for (something, such as a domestic industry) by means of tariffs or trade controls
3
: defend sense 5
protect a lead
intransitive verb
: to provide a guard or shield
protects against tooth decay
protectable
prə-ˈtek-tə-bəl
adjective protective
prə-ˈtek-tiv
adjective protectively adverb
protectiveness noun
Synonyms
- bulwark
- cover
- defend
- fence
- fend
- forfend
- guard
- keep
- safeguard
- screen
- secure
- shield
- ward
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He had no raincoat to protect himself from the rain. She keeps her jewelry protected in a safe. You have to protect your business against fraud. New laws have been passed to protect your privacy. The forest is protected by federal law. The high taxes on imported goods are intended to protect domestic producers. Sunscreen helps to protect against sunburn. The insurance protects you against flooding. The insurance does not protect against damage caused by earthquakes. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Environmental groups said Seafood Watch's decision places a spotlight on the fishery and the need to do more to protect whales. 
Patrick Whittle, ajc, 8 Sep. 2022 Now, wineries are taking measures to protect the future of their precious vines. Hollie Stephens, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2022 Strategies range from developing drugs that protect people with vision loss against further damage to restoring vision with cell and gene therapies that would replace, regenerate or repair retinal neurons that no longer work. Ron Winslow, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 If the settlement is finalized, only a few options will remain to protect the people of north Birmingham, according to experts. Shane Loeffler, ProPublica, 1 Sep. 2022 Mississippi, a ruby red political state, has failed miserably in their efforts to serve and protect their people. Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Meanwhile, an incident involving Chris (Sean Lew) forces Fiona (Martha Millan) to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child. Joe Otterson, Variety, 29 Aug. 2022 Christmas was days away, omicron cases of coronavirus were surging and the attorneys who had been fighting to protect people in jail were running out of options. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2022 The government did so to protect the broader integrity of its inquiry into whether Trump had violated the Espionage Act and other laws by willfully retaining national security records that he was required to turn over to the National Archives. Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2022 See More
Patrick Whittle, ajc, 8 Sep. 2022 Now, wineries are taking measures to protect the future of their precious vines. Hollie Stephens, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2022 Strategies range from developing drugs that protect people with vision loss against further damage to restoring vision with cell and gene therapies that would replace, regenerate or repair retinal neurons that no longer work. Ron Winslow, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 If the settlement is finalized, only a few options will remain to protect the people of north Birmingham, according to experts. Shane Loeffler, ProPublica, 1 Sep. 2022 Mississippi, a ruby red political state, has failed miserably in their efforts to serve and protect their people. Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Meanwhile, an incident involving Chris (Sean Lew) forces Fiona (Martha Millan) to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child. Joe Otterson, Variety, 29 Aug. 2022 Christmas was days away, omicron cases of coronavirus were surging and the attorneys who had been fighting to protect people in jail were running out of options. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2022 The government did so to protect the broader integrity of its inquiry into whether Trump had violated the Espionage Act and other laws by willfully retaining national security records that he was required to turn over to the National Archives. Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin protectus, past participle of protegere, from pro- in front + tegere to cover — more at pro-, thatch
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Phrases Containing protect
Kids Definition
protect
verb
pro·tect prə-ˈtekt
protected; protecting
: keep from being harmed especially by covering or shielding : guard
Legal Definition
protect
transitive verb
pro·tect
1
: to shield from injury or harm
protecting public health and safety
2
: to secure or preserve against encroachment, infringement, restriction, or violation : maintain the status or integrity of especially through legal or constitutional guarantees
protect a work against copyright infringement
the First Amendment protects speech
3
: to restrict competition for (as domestic industries) by means of tariffs or trade controls
protect
verb
as in to safeguard
to drive danger or attack away from the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- safeguard
- defend
- shield
- guard
- secure
- keep
- fend
- prevent
- bulwark
- preserve
- save
- ward
- fence
- conserve
- cover
- screen
- forfend
- withstand
- avert
- stand up for
- resist
- oppose
- war
- fight
- contend
- battle
- buffer
- wall
- picket
- palisade
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- attack
- assault
- assail
- overrun
- beset
- submit
- bombard
- yield
- cave
- besiege
- storm
- capitulate
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of protect are defend, guard, safeguard, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.
a hard hat to protect your head
The words defend and protect can be used in similar contexts, but defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.
defend the country
In some situations, the words guard and protect are roughly equivalent. However, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.
White House entrances are well guarded
Although the words safeguard and protect have much in common, safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.
our civil liberties must be safeguarded
While in some cases nearly identical to protect, shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.
shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand
- calculators
- calculatory
- calculi
- calculiform
- calculous
- calculus
- calculus of classes
- calculus of enlargement
- calculus of finite differences
- calculus of individuals
- calculus of relations
- calculus of relatives
- calculus of variations
- calculuses
- Calcutta
- Calcutta hemp
- calcuttae
- calcuttan
- calcuttans
- calcuttas
- caldaria
- Calder
- caldera
- Caldera Rodríguez
- calderas