to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
Economics. to guard (the industry or an industry of a nation) from foreign competition by imposing import duties.
to provide funds for the payment of (a draft, note, etc.).
verb (used without object)
to provide, or be capable of providing, protection: a floor wax that protects as well as shines.
Origin of protect
1520–30; <Latin prōtēctus, past participle of prōtegere to cover in front, equivalent to prō-pro-1 + teg-, stem of tegere to cover (akin to toga, thatch) + -tus past participle suffix
SYNONYMS FOR protect
1 screen, shelter.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR protect ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR protect
1 attack.
SEE ANTONYMS FOR protect ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for protect
1. See defend.
OTHER WORDS FROM protect
pro·tect·i·ble,pro·tect·a·ble,adjectivepro·tect·i·bil·i·ty,pro·tect·a·bil·i·ty,nouno·ver·pro·tect,verb (used with object)qua·si-pro·tect·ed,adjective
They also trap silt and other sediment, protecting it from erosion and building up the shoreline.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
A separate set of challenges comes with trying to protect private homes from wildfire smoke.
Wildfire smoke and COVID-19 are a one-two punch for indoor air quality across the U.S.|dzanemorris|September 17, 2020|Fortune
Infecting mice with a weakened strain of yeast not only protected them against more pathogenic yeast but also helped them fight unrelated Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
‘Trained Immunity’ Offers Hope in Fight Against Coronavirus|Esther Landhuis|September 14, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Potts said she was disliked by some at the state Department of Public Safety for saying Alaska wasn’t doing enough to protect villagers.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
He will restore America’s reputation around the world as an ally in the struggle to protect and expand human rights.
Vote for Biden (duh)|Kevin Naff|September 10, 2020|Washington Blade
When our elected representatives assume their respective offices, they take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.”
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Luckily, Tor was prepared for this sort of assault, and has built-in defenses to protect against it.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such large sheets are common in Kobani, meant to protect fighters and civilians from the ever gazing eyes of ISIS snipers.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS|Mohammed A. Salih|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes politicians oppose reform for nefarious reasons—to protect a special interest or a major donor, for example.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The NRA wants the ability to sue local officials for passing laws that protect public safety.
The NRA’s Twisted List for Santa|John Feinblatt|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Rebel soldier had stolen his coat, and he had no blanket to protect him from the cold night-winds.
Winning His Way|Charles Carleton Coffin
I can take care of you and protect you, and I will devote my life to your happiness.
A Modern Chronicle, Complete|Winston Churchill
To protect his own interests Prescott decided to make an abridgment of his own, and thus to forestall the pirate.
William Hickling Prescott|Harry Thurston Peck
They'd locate a shallow rill; then they'd build an airlock to protect them against chance meteorites.
First on the Moon|Jeff Sutton
As he raised his big arms to protect his head, his antagonist twisted free.
El Diablo|Brayton Norton
British Dictionary definitions for protect
protect
/ (prəˈtɛkt) /
verb(tr)
to defend from trouble, harm, attack, etc
economicsto assist (domestic industries) by the imposition of protective tariffs on imports
commerceto provide funds in advance to guarantee payment of (a note, draft, etc)
Word Origin for protect
C16: from Latin prōtegere to cover before, from pro-1 + tegere to cover