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protective Definition

pro·tec·tive (prə tektiv, prō-)

adjective

  1. protecting, or serving, intended, or alleged to protect a protective gesture, protective custody
  2. Econ. serving or intended to protect domestic products, industries, etc. in competition with foreign products, industries, etc. a protective tariff

protective Related Forms

pro·tec·tively adverb pro·tec·tive·ness noun

protective Synonyms

protective

modif.

protecting, emergency, as a last resort, having built-in protection, guarding, shielding.

protective Usage Examples

Preposition: of

health: Meaningful work, whether paid or unpaid, is protective of mental health and fosters a sense of self worth and belonging.

Preposition: against

cancer: Laboratory, animal, and epidemiologic evidence strongly suggest that Vitamin D may be protective against some cancers.

Modifies a noun

  • clothing: Some 75 percent of protective clothing sold in the UK is imported.
  • coating: Now, by teaming up with AEA to add a protective coating, the thermal resistance of these parts can be enhanced still further.
  • glove: Just touching a cold milk bottle without using protective gloves can cause the fingers to go numb.
  • covering: Cables can also be made up with varying types of protective covering including steel wire armor for direct burial.
  • headgear: A rider whilst racing or training shall wear properly affixed protective headgear which must be of a hard/soft shell construction.
  • equipment: There was no protective equipment, not even a face mask.

Modifying Another Word

  • fiercely: Well known for being good mothers and can be fiercely protective with calves at foot, particularly toward dogs.
  • highly: Researchers have developed a plant-based vaccine against bacterial Shiga toxin, and show that it is highly protective in mice.
  • very: HE You're very protective toward it, aren't you?
  • over: It is all too easy for families to be over protective.
  • extremely: Manfred is quite rightly extremely protective of his music.
  • so: Anyway why should the PPA be so protective over the data that they consider a request must be dealt with by them?

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: I remember feeling fiercly protective of him which is only normal.
  • become: There is no doubt the commercial judges have become far more protective of the claimant, insured or reinsured.
  • get: One that, much to Mike's distress, Sully seems to like having around and is even getting protective over.
  • remain: Despite our open and co-operative relationships with many other countries in the world, we remain jealously protective of our position and affluence.
  • consider: This is the sign of coiled rope surrounding all the cartouches of the Pharaohs and is considered powerfully protective.