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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | protective, watchful |
| Synonyms: | arresting, averting, balking, checking, conservative, coping with, defending, foiling, forestalling, frustrating, guarding, in opposition, interrupting, opposing, preservative, preventive, protecting, resistive, safeguarding, thwarting, uptight*, warding off, withstanding |
| Notes: | defendable means capable of being protected or justified; defensible means capable of being defended or justified; defensive means attempting to justify or defend |
| Antonyms: | undefensive, unprotective, unwary, unwatchful |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | protective |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | guarding, securing |
| Synonyms: | careful, conservational, conservative, covering, custodial, defensive, emergency, guardian, insulating, jealous, possessive, preservative, protecting, safeguarding, sheltering, shielding, vigilant, warm, watchful |
| Antonyms: | attacking, harmful, hurtful, injurious, threatening |
| Main Entry: | on guard |
| Part of Speech: | adverb |
| Definition: | feeling wary |
| Synonyms: | alert, careful, cautious, defensive, guarded, heedful, mindful, observant, on one's guard, on one's toes, on the lookout, on the watch, vigilant, wary, watchful |
| Main Entry: | opposed |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | antagonistic |
| Synonyms: | against, allergic, anti, antipathetic, antithetical, antonymous, at cross-purposes, at odds, averse, battling, clashing, combating, conflicting, confronting, contrary, controverting, counter, crossing, defending, defensive, denying, disagreeing, disputed, disputing, dissentient, enemy, exposing, facing, gainsaying, hostile, in opposition, incompatible, inimical, irreconcilable, objecting, obstructive, opposing, opposite, protesting, repelling, restrictive, rival, up against, warring |
| Antonyms: | in favor of |
| Main Entry: | preservative |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | saving |
| Synonyms: | conservative, conservatory, defensive, precautionary, protective, safeguarding |
| Main Entry: | preventive |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | deterrent |
| Synonyms: | defending, defensive, precautionary, protective |
| Notes: | use preventive 'designed to prevent,' not 'preventative' (an unnecessary synonym) |
| Main Entry: | on one's guard |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | wary |
| Synonyms: | alert, careful, cautious, defensive, guarded, heedful, mindful, observant, on guard, on one's toes, on the lookout, on the watch, upon one's guard, vigilant, watchful |
| Main Entry: | oppositional |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | opposing |
| Synonyms: | adversarial, adverse, against the grain, allergic, antagonistic, anti*, antipathetic, antithetical, antonymous, at cross-purposes, at odds, averse, battling, clashing, combating, conflicting, confronting, contrary, controverting, counter, crossing, defending, defensive, denying, disagreeing, disputed, disputing, dissentient, enemy, exposing, facing, gainsaying, hostile, in opposition, incompatible, inimical, irreconcilable, objecting, obstructive, opposed, opposite, protesting, repelling, restrictive, rival, up against, warring |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | preclusive |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | preventive |
| Synonyms: | defending, defensive, deterrent, precautionary, preventative, protective |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
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Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
