Dictionary

1defeat

verb de·feat \di-ˈfēt, dē-\

: to win a victory over (someone or something) in a war, contest, game, etc.

: to cause (someone or something) to fail

: to control or overcome (something)

Full Definition of DEFEAT

transitive verb
1
obsolete :  destroy
2
a :  nullify <defeat an estate>
b :  frustrate 2a(1) <defeat a hope>
3
:  to win victory over :  beat <defeat the opposing team>
de·feat·able \-ˈfē-tə-bəl\ adjective
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Origin of DEFEAT

Middle English deffeten, from Anglo-French defait, past participle of defaire, desfaire to destroy, from Medieval Latin disfacere, from Latin dis- + facere to do — more at do
First Known Use: 14th century

Synonym Discussion of DEFEAT

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy. conquer implies gaining mastery of <Caesar conquered Gaul>. vanquish implies a complete overpowering <vanquished the enemy and ended the war>. defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals <the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas>. subdue implies a defeating and suppression <subdued the native tribes after years of fighting>. reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender <the city was reduced after a month-long siege>. overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle <overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks>. overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power <violently overthrew the old regime>.

2defeat

noun

: failure to succeed or to win

: the act of winning a victory over someone or something

Full Definition of DEFEAT

1
:  frustration by nullification or by prevention of success <the bill suffered defeat in the Senate>
2
obsolete :  destruction
3
a :  an overthrow especially of an army in battle
b :  the loss of a contest

First Known Use of DEFEAT

1590

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical
DEFEAT Defined for Kids

1defeat

verb de·feat \di-ˈfēt\
de·feat·edde·feat·ing

Definition of DEFEAT for Kids

1
:  to win victory over <The champs defeated their rivals handily.>
2
:  to cause to fail or be destroyed <The bill was defeated in Congress.>

2defeat

noun

Definition of DEFEAT for Kids

:  loss of a contest or battle

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