self-protective

adjective

self-pro·​tec·​tive ˌself-prə-ˈtek-tiv How to pronounce self-protective (audio)
Synonyms of self-protectivenext
: serving or tending to protect oneself
self-protective instincts/behaviors
a self-protective reaction
taking self-protective measures
Doubtless, previous relationships play a role in your evaluating how much self-protective distancing you may need to connect comfortably with another.—Leon F. Seltzer
self-protectiveness noun
… counselors often develop an intuitive feeling about traumatized individuals—a sixth sense about the client's fears, terror, feelings of being threatened and resulting self-protectiveness. —Lynne Shallcross

Synonyms of self-protective

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Examples of self-protective in a Sentence

a self-protective gesture to ward off the blow
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But anyone who has nurtured a daydream, or told a self-protective lie, can empathize with her, and learn something true about themselves. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026 Military culture is fiercely self-protective, and soldiers who criticize it are usually treated as traitors. — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 Legislators need to realize that big tech is self-protective and eschews state boundaries in multifarious ways. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 But Wood had also charged Whitehead with avoiding introspection, echoing an assessment that the novelist—who’d developed a self-protective reserve in childhood—was also beginning to reach. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-protective

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-protective was in 1829

Rhymes for self-protective

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Browse Nearby Words

self-protection
self-protective
self-pruning
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Cite this Entry

“Self-protective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-protective. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

self-protective

adjective
self-pro·​tec·​tive
ˌself-prə-ˈtek-tiv
: serving or tending to protect oneself
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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