protective

English

Etymology

From protect +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈtɛk.tɪv/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈtɛk.tɪv/, /pɹoʊˈtɛk.tɪv/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈtek.tɪv/
• Rhymes: -ɛktɪv
• Hyphenation: pro‧tec‧tive

Adjective

protective (comparative more protective, superlative most protective)

1. Serving or intended to protect.

   The fighter dropped into a protective stance.

   The castle's moat served a protective function.

   • 2004, Mickey Baskett, Fabulous Painted Furniture, page 13:

     Pour a solvent such as paint thinner, mineral spirits, or a liquid sandpaper product in a metal can or enamel bowl. Wear protective gloves.

2. Wishing to protect; defensive of somebody or something.

   Mother bears are famously protective of their cubs.

Derived terms

• atheroprotective
• autoprotective
• axoprotective
• bioprotective
• bronchoprotective
• canceroprotective
• carcinoprotective
• cardioprotective
• carioprotective
• cerebroprotective
• chemoprotective
• chondroprotective
• cryoprotective
• cytoprotective
• dermatoprotective
• ecoprotective
• endothelioprotective
• enteroprotective
• excitoprotective
• fertoprotective
• fibroprotective
• gastroprotective
• genoprotective
• geroprotective
• glioprotective
• hepatoprotective
• hyperprotective
• immunoprotective
• luteoprotective
• lyoprotective
• mechanoprotective
• metalloprotective
• mitoprotective
• mucoprotective
• myeloprotective
• myoprotective
• nephroprotective
• neuroprotective
• nonprotective
• oligoprotective
• oncoprotective
• organoprotective
• osmoprotective
• osteoprotective
• otoprotective
• overcurrent protective device
• overprotective
• ovoprotective
• personal protective equipment
• pharmacoprotective
• photoprotective
• phytoprotective
• pneumoprotective
• protective custody
• protectively
• protectiveness
• protective order
• protective reaction
• protectivity
• radioprotective
• renoprotective
• retinoprotective
• self-protective
• semiprotective
• seroprotective
• subprotective
• superprotective
• thermoprotective
• thromboprotective
• thyroprotective
• tubuloprotective
• ultraprotective
• unprotective
• uroprotective
• vasculoprotective
• vasoprotective
• venoprotective

Translations

serving, intended or wishing to protect

Armenian: պաշտպանական (hy) (paštpanakan) Azerbaijani: qoruyucu Bulgarian: защите́н (bg) (zaštitén), предпазен (bg) (predpazen) Czech: ochranný (cs) Esperanto: protekta Finnish: suoja-, suojaava (fi), turvaava French: protecteur (fr) German: Schutz- (de) Hebrew: הגנתי m (haganatí), מגן (he) (magén) Irish: fálach, díonmhar Italian: protettivo (it) Kazakh: қорғауыш (qorğauyş) Old English: healdsum Portuguese: protetor (pt), protetivo (pt) Russian: защи́тный (ru) (zaščítnyj), охра́нный (ru) (oxránnyj) Spanish: protector (es) Welsh: amddiffynol

Noun

protective (plural protectives)

1. (British) Something that protects.
2. A condom.

Translations

Something that protects

Finnish: suoja (fi) Romanian: protector (ro) m Spanish: protector (es) (sports)

A condom

Bulgarian: презерватив (bg) m (prezervativ) Finnish: kondomi (fi) Portuguese: preservativo (pt) m