• IPA: /dɪˈfiːt/

From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet and defet, see Etymology 2 below.

defeat (defeats, present participle defeating; simple past and past participle defeated)

1. (transitive) To overcome in battle or contest.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:defeat

   Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.

2. (transitive) To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
   • 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], 8th edition, London: […] T. Goodwin, B[enjamin] Tooke, and J. Pemberton, […]; J. Round […], and J[acob] Tonson] […], published 1720, →OCLC ↗:

     He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.

   • 1879, Adolphus Ward, “Chaucer”, in English Men of Letters:

     In one instance he defeated his own purpose.

3. (transitive) To nullify
   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC ↗:

     The escheators […] defeated the right heir of his succession.

4. To prevent (something) from being achieved.

• vanquish, overcome, beat

• defeasance
• defeasible
• defeater
• defeatism
• defeatist
• defeature

• French: vaincre, défaire
• German: schlagen, besiegen, niederringen, bewältigen, bezwingen
• Italian: sconfiggere, battere, vincere
• Portuguese: derrotar, vencer
• Russian: побежда́ть
• Spanish: derrotar, vencer

• French: contrecarrer, réduire à néant, anéantir
• German: zunichtemachen
• Spanish: derrotar, derribar

• Spanish: anular

From Middle English defet, from French deffet, desfait, past participle of the verb desfaire (compare modern French défaire), from des- + faire.

defeat

1. The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.

   Licking their wounds after a temporary defeat, they planned their next move.

2. The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing.

   The inscription records her defeat of the country's enemies in a costly war.

3. Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (legal) nullification.
   • 1909, The Southern Reporter, page 250:

     ... is subsequently issued to him, in accordance with his perfect equity thus acquired, by a legal fiction which the law creates for the protection, but not for the defeat, of his title.

4. (obsolete) Destruction, ruin.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

     and made defeat of her virginity

• victory

• French: défaite
• German: Niederlage
• Italian: sconfitta, disfatta
• Russian: пораже́ние
• Spanish: derrota, vencimiento

• Spanish: derrota, vencimiento