What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Defence vs Pretext - What's the difference?

defence | pretext | Related terms |

Defence is a related term of pretext.


As nouns the difference between defence and pretext

is that defence is the action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury while pretext is a false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.

As verbs the difference between defence and pretext

is that defence is (obsolete|transitive) to furnish with defences; to fortify while pretext is to employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else.

defence

English

Alternative forms

* defense (US )

Noun

(en noun)
  • The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
  • * Shakespeare
    • In cases of defence 'tis best to weigh / The enemy more mighty than he seems.
  • Something used to oppose attack(s).
  • * 1592—1609 , , Sonnet XII:
    • And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
    Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.
  • An argument in support or justification of something.
  • * 1592—1609 , , Sonnet LXXXIX:
    • Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,
    Against thy reasons making no defence .
  • A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
  • The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
  • Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
    • Department of Defence
  • Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • Severe defences against wearing any linen under a certain breadth.

    Synonyms

    * See

    Antonyms

    * offence (Commonwealth), offense (US)

    Derived terms

    * antidefence, antidefense * ecodefence, ecodefense * Nuremberg defence, Nuremberg defense * defensive * defensiveness

    Verb

    (defenc)
  • (obsolete) To furnish with defences; to fortify.
  • * Hales:
    • Better manned and more strongly defenced .

    pretext

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.
    • The reporter called the company on the pretext of trying to resolve a consumer complaint.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 27 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=When that metaphor proves untenable, he switches to insisting that women are like beer but that’s mainly as a pretext to drink until he passes out in a father-son bonding haze.}}

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (Pretexting) (en verb)
  • To employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else.
    • The spy obtained his phone records using possibly-illegal pretexting methods.

    Synonyms

    * blag (UK)

    See also

    * (Social engineering)

    External links

    * *