Relating to defense or a fortification; having the nature of a defense.
From Middle English and Old French, derived from Latin defendere (to defend). This is a rare variant of 'defensive' that emphasizes the action of defending rather than mere defensibility.
While 'fensive' is archaic today, it appears in historical military texts describing fortifications. It's the same root as 'fend' (as in 'fend off'), showing how medieval military language evolved differently in different regions—some places kept 'fensive' while others shifted to 'defensive.'
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.