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Added 9 October 2026

self-defense

noun

First recorded: 1650 Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). More about self-defense at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The means of defending oneself from physical attack.
The right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force, which can be used as justification in several charges including murder, assault, and battery.

Origin

From self- + defense. First used by Hobbes in the 1650s.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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