English · Word Candidate

protective

/pɹəˈtɛk.tɪv/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: protectives

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Serving or intended to protect.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Dùng để bảo vệ hoặc có ý định bảo vệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The fighter dropped into a protective stance.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Wishing to protect; defensive of somebody or something.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Muốn bảo vệ; phòng thủ cho ai hoặc cái gì

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Mother bears are famously protective of their cubs.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Something that protects.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Điều gì đó bảo vệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: UK

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A condom.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Vòng tránh thai

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “protective” mean?

Serving or intended to protect.

Is “protective” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.