Adjacent Words

Protective definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PROTECT'IVE, a. Affording protection; sheltering; defensive.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind; "a protective covering"; "the use of protective masks and equipment"; "protective coatings"; "kept the drunken sailor in protective custody"; "animals with protective coloring"; "protective tariffs" [ant: unprotective]
2: showing care; "a protective mother"
3: (usually followed by `of') solicitously caring or mindful; "protective of his reputation"

Merriam Webster's

adjective see protect

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. topdash.adj. 1 protecting; intended or intending to protect. 2 (of food) protecting against deficiency diseases. --n. something that protects, esp. a condom. Phrases and idioms: protective clothing clothing worn to shield the body from dangerous substances or a hostile environment. protective colouring colouring disguising or camouflaging a plant or animal. protective custody the detention of a person for his or her own protection. Derivatives: protectively adv. protectiveness n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Protective Pro*tect"ive, a. [Cf. F. protectif.] Affording protection; sheltering; defensive. `` The favor of a protective Providence.'' --Feltham. Protective coloring (Zo["o]l.), coloring which serves for the concealment and preservation of a living organism. Cf. Mimicry. --Wallace. Protective tariff (Polit. Econ.), a tariff designed to secure protection (see Protection, 4.), as distinguished from a tariff designed to raise revenue. See Tariff, and Protection, 4.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Protective means designed or intended to protect something or someone from harm. Protective gloves reduce the absorption of chemicals through the skin... Protective measures are necessary if the city's monuments are to be preserved. ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. If someone is protective towards you, they look after you and show a strong desire to keep you safe. He is very protective towards his mother... ADJ: oft ADJ towards/of n • protectively Simon drove me to the airport and protectively told me to look after myself. ADV: ADV with v • protectiveness What she felt now was protectiveness towards her brothers, her sister and her new baby.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Defensive, sheltering, affording protection.

Moby Thesaurus

careful, conservational, conservationist, conservative, conservatory, conserving, covering, custodial, defending, defensive, fostering, guardian, guarding, heedful, immunizing, jealous, keeping, parental, possessive, preservative, preservatory, preserving, preventative, preventive, prophylactic, protecting, safeguarding, saving, screening, self-defensive, self-preservative, self-protective, sheltering, shielding, tutelary, vigilant, watchful