protection

[pruh-tek-shuh n] /prəˈtɛk ʃən/

noun

the act of protecting or the state of being protected; preservation from injury or harm.

a thing, person, or group that protects:

This vaccine is a protection against disease.

patronage.

Insurance. coverage (def 1).

Informal.

money paid to racketeers for a guarantee against threatened violence.
bribe money paid to the police, politicians, or other authorities for overlooking criminal activity.

Economics, protectionism.

a document that assures safety from harm, delay, or the like, for the person, persons, or property specified in it.

Archaic. a document given by the U.S. customs authorities to a sailor traveling abroad certifying that the holder is a citizen of the U.S.

Origin

1275-1325; Middle English proteccio(u)n < Late Latin prōtēctiōn- (stem of prōtēctiō) a covering in front. See protect, -ion

Related forms

protectional, adjective

nonprotection, noun

overprotection, noun

Synonyms

1. security, refuge, safety. 2. guard, defense, shield, bulwark. See cover. 3. aegis, sponsorship. 7. pass, permit.

Examples from the web for protection

Spending on green technologies rose, but less care was taken over environmental protection.
Bank marketing campaigns for overdraft protection appear to be working on some consumers.
The higher the speed rating, the more such protection might pay off.
In addition, few people realized that the quagga was distinct from other zebras and needed protection.
And some shade-loving plants must have sun protection and high humidity throughout the growing season.
Many bank customers are having to decide whether to ask for overdraft protection.
Its protection does not depend on whether that speech is original, well reasoned, or well informed.
They number only several hundred, and populations do not appear to have grown in the decades since their protection began.
Nurse wearing a mask as protection against influenza.
Other works restored were previously ineligible for protection.

British Dictionary definitions for protection

protection

/prəˈtɛkʃən/

noun

the act of protecting or the condition of being protected

something that protects

the imposition of duties or quotas on imports, designed for the protection of domestic industries against overseas competition, expansion of domestic employment, etc
Also called protectionism. the system, policy, or theory of such restrictions Compare free trade

a document that grants protection or immunity from arrest or harassment to a person, esp a traveller

(mountaineering) security on a climb provided by running belays, etc

(informal)

Also called protection money. money demanded by gangsters for freedom from molestation
freedom from molestation purchased in this way

Derived Forms

protectionism, noun
protectionist, noun, adjective

Word Origin and History for protection

mid-14c., "shelter, defense; keeping, guardianship;" late 14c. as "that which protects," from Old French proteccion "protection, shield" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin protectionem (nominative protectio) "a covering over," noun of action from past participle stem of protegere "protect, cover in front," from pro- "in front" + tegere "to cover" (see stegosaurus).

A common Old English word for "protect" was beorgan. International economic sense is from 1789. In gangster sense, "freedom from molestation in exchange for money," it is attested from 1860. Ecological sense of "attempted preservation by laws" is from 1880 (originally of wild birds in Britain). Also in medieval England, "the protection or maintenance of a lord or patron; sponsorship." To put (someone) out of protection meant to deprive him or her of the security of the protection of the kingdom's laws.