The defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge of violent crime.
自卫
he claimed self-defence in the attempted murder charge
面对蓄意谋杀的指控，他声称自己是自卫。
as modifierself-defence classes
自卫课程。
Example sentencesExamples
The jury had clearly rejected self-defence and the judge therefore had to make some sense of it.
I would condone it myself but the point is, it was self-defence and protection of that child.
There are currently no grounds for a claim to use such force in self-defence.
This does not exclude the right of justified self-defense of individuals or communities.
I tell him that nothing comes before family and I would try to claim self-defense.
The one application of this principle is the doctrine of self-defence.
In such circumstances the wounding of V would not be unlawful as it would be justified by the defence of self-defence.
These features of the defence of self-defence are critical to the outcome of this appeal.
They point out that Rand decisively rejects the use of force except in self-defense.
Plainly this defence must not be confused with self-defence under public international law.
There you might be convicted of manslaughter on the basis of excessive self-defence.
There can be no doubt that the magistrates were entitled to reject the argument of self-defence or defence of another.
Is it not the common law that a citizen is entitled to use self-defence in the case of wrongful arrest?
Rather, it is that some revision of the definition of self-defense is necessary.
It seems clear that the judge also rejected the defences of accident and self-defence.
It was indeed a strategy, but it derived its force from the willing abdication of the right to physical self-defense.
It was thrown to him to use in self-defence presumably and he did just that.
Inaccurate and dangerous, muskets are not very useful for crime or self-defense.
That was the trial judge's view as well and he did not leave self-defence to the jury.
If a man shoots another in self-defence, or under gross provocation, the death is not caused by accident.
Derivatives
self-defensive
adjectiveˌsɛlfdɪˈfɛnsɪvˌsɛlfdəˈfɛnsɪv
Used or intended to defend one's person or interests.
you could use a set of keys as a weapon in a self-defensive situation
Example sentencesExamples
they pull their arms up in a self-defensive posture
When a threat exists, a person's primary self-defensive goal is to affirm the integrity of the self, not to resolve the particular threat.
It's transformed into something else, a weird therapeutic exposé, partly self-defensive, partly confessional, and largely performative (it's no secret at any point that cameras are rolling).
In the letter, Paul engaged in a self-defensive polemic.