protective Meaning & Definition
What Does Protective Mean?
Protective is used as a verb meaning to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction. It is also used to mean defend.
Protective in Brief
| Part of speech | verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /prə-ˈtekt/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | tender, caring and tutelar |
| Antonyms | unprotective, offensive and aggressive |
Protective Definition (Verb)
- to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction : guard
- defend
protect the goal
- to maintain the status or integrity of especially through financial or legal guarantees: such as
- to save from contingent financial loss
- to foster or shield from infringement or restriction
salesmen with protected territories / protect one's rights
- to restrict competition for (something, such as a domestic industry) by means of tariffs or trade controls
- to provide a guard or shield
protects against tooth decay
Synonyms of Protective
Antonyms of Protective
Protective in a Sentence
The fighter dropped into a protective stance.
The castle's moat served a protective function.
Mother bears are famously protective of their cubs.
protect the goal
salesmen with protected territories
protect one's rights
protect a lead
protects against tooth decay
the cat drew back its ears and sank into a protective posture as the dog approached it
the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs
salesmen with protected territories / protect one's rights
Word Forms & Grammar
pro·tect·ed
pro·tect·ing
pro·tects
pro·tect·able adjective
pro·tec·tive adjective
pro·tec·tive·ly adverb
pro·tec·tive·ness noun
protect
protectable
protected
protecting
protective
protectively
protectiveness
protectivenesses
protects
protective (comparative more protective, superlative most protective)
protective (plural protectives)
Words That Rhyme With Protective
Origin of Protective
Origin 1: Middle English, from Latin protectus, past participle of protegere, from pro- in front + tegere to cover pro-, thatch
Origin 2: Borrowed from Medieval Latin prōtēctīvus. By surface analysis, protect + -ive.
First Known Use
15th centuryt
Protective Pronunciation
Protective is pronounced /prə-ˈtekt/ and has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (tekt).
Questions People Ask About Protective
What part of speech is protective?
Protective is a verb.
What is another word for protective?
You can replace protective with words such as tender, caring and tutelar. See the full list of protective synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of protective?
Antonyms of protective include unprotective, offensive, aggressive and bellicose.