防衛的(ぼうえいてき)

Compound of 防衛(ぼうえい) ('defense') and the adjectival suffix 〜的(てき) ('-ish; -like; of the nature of'), which turns nouns into な-adjectives. 防衛的(ぼうえいてき) therefore means 'of a defensive nature'.

Usage

• Applies both to physical defense (military, security, sports) and to psychological or social stance (emotional reactions, communication style, corporate policy).
• When describing a person, it often carries a mildly negative nuance: 'overly defensive; unwilling to accept criticism'.
• Frequently used in the adverbial form 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)に and as the predicate 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)になる ('to become defensive').

Common collocations

• 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)な態度(たいど): a defensive attitude
• 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)な姿勢(しせい): a defensive posture
• 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)な戦略(せんりゃく): a defensive strategy
• 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)になる: to become defensive
• 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)に反応(はんのう)する: to react defensively
• 防衛的(ぼうえいてき)な発言(はつげん): a defensive remark

Similar words

• 守勢(しゅせい): defensive position — a noun describing the state of being on the defensive, often in warfare or sports.
• 消極的(しょうきょくてき): passive; reluctant — broader term for being unwilling to take initiative, without the specific 'protecting oneself' nuance.
• 攻撃的(こうげきてき): aggressive; offensive — the direct antonym.
• 保守的(ほしゅてき): conservative — oriented toward preserving the status quo; overlaps with 防衛的(ぼうえいてき) in the sense of 'protecting what one has', but focuses on resistance to change.