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Defend vs Fortify - What's the difference?

defend | fortify |

As verbs the difference between defend and fortify

is that defend is to ward off, repel (an attack or attacker) while fortify is to increase the defenses of; to strengthen and secure by military works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile forces.

defend

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (obsolete) To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
  • *1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.viii:
  • *:The vertue is, that neither steele, nor stone / The stroke thereof from entrance may defend .
  • (obsolete) To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
  • (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To prohibit, forbid.
  • *:
  • *:Broder said sir launcelot wete ye wel I am ful lothe to departe oute of this realme / but the quene hath defended me soo hyhely / that me semeth she wille neuer be my good lady as she hath ben
  • To ward off attacks from; to fight to protect; to guard.
  • To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
  • (legal) To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 14, author=Steven Morris, work=Guardian
  • , title= Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , passage=Philip Miles, defending , said: "This was a single instance, there was no allegation of continuing behaviour over a long period of time."}}
  • (sports) To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
  • (sports) To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.
  • (poker slang) To call a raise from the big blind.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * attack

    Anagrams

    *

    fortify

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To increase the defenses of; to strengthen and secure by military works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile forces.
  • To impart strength or vigor to.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • Pride came to the aid of fancy, and both combined to fortify his resolution.
  • *
  • To increase the effectiveness of, as by additional ingredients.
  • * 1979 , Kiplinger's Personal Finance (volume 33, number 7, July 1979, page 47)
  • Compare the nutrition information label of a regular ready-to-eat fortified cereal with that of a presweetened brand and you'll note that, although the sweetened one's sugar content is higher, the fortification is virtually identical.