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Defense vs Prevent - What's the difference?

defense | prevent |

As a noun defense

is defence (action of defending or protecting from attack, danger or injury, or any means for that purpose).

As a verb prevent is

to stop; to keep (from happening).

defense

English

Alternative forms

* defence (British)

Noun

  • (en noun) (US)
  • The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury.
  • Anything employed to oppose attack(s).
  • # A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense.
  • # The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense.
  • An argument in support or justification of something.
  • Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
    • Department of Defense
  • Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • Severe defenses against wearing any linen under a certain breadth.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * offense

    Derived terms

    * antidefense * ecodefense * Nuremberg defense * defensive * defensiveness * defensive scheme * defensive system

    prevent

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stop; to keep (from happening).
    • I brushed my teeth to prevent them from going yellow.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Tom Fordyce , title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history.}}
  • * 1897 , Henry James, What Maisie Knew :
    • ‘I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent !’
  • (obsolete) To come before; to precede.
  • * Bible, 1 Thess. iv. 15
    • We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
    • We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.
  • * Prior
    • Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.
  • (obsolete) To outdo, surpass.
  • * 1596 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , IV.i:
    • With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.
  • (obsolete) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • their ready guilt preventing thy commands

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * preventative * prevention * preventive