self-defense
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From self- + defense. First used by Hobbes in the 1650s.
Pronunciation
Noun
self-defense (usually uncountable, plural self-defenses)
- The means of defending oneself from physical attack.
- (law) 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.
- 2013 July 10, Patrik Jonsson, “George Zimmerman speaks, but won’t testify in his defense”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
- The case inspired widespread rallies and “Million Hoodie Marches” in early 2012, after Sanford, Fla., police refused to charge Zimmerman with a crime, saying they couldn’t counter his self-defense claim. A special state prosecutor indicted him 44 days later. The trial began June 10.
Translations
means of defending oneself from attack
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law: the right to protect oneself against violence by using reasonable force
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