self-protection

noun

self-pro·​tec·​tion ˌself-prə-ˈtek-shən How to pronounce self-protection (audio)
plural self-protections
: the act of protecting oneself, one's property, or one's group : self-defense
kept a bat under the bed for self-protection
… found that conflict-affected communities often develop sophisticated self-protection strategies …Lisa Fuller
GEMINI … A painful past makes you guard your feelings, but such self-protection can lead to isolation and missed opportunities.Harper's Bazaar
sometimes used before another noun
self-protection techniques
a self-protection seminar

Examples of self-protection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More often than not, cultural conditioning and self-protection encourage us to be vague or passive about desire in relationships. Colin Bedell, Them, 3 Mar. 2025 Your strategy for self-protection can save you from falling apart over the caregiving journey. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 His position that requires superhuman capacities for discernment, judgment, manipulation, and self-protection—capacities demanded and cultivated in smaller amounts in everyday citizens. Philip Tinari, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025 These are songs not of isolation but of self-reflection, self-protection and self-care, whatever the cost. Adam Bradley D’angelo Lovell Williams Milton David Dixon Iii, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-protection

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-protection was in 1635

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Cite this Entry

“Self-protection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-protection. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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