defender (una propuesta)
verbCEFR B2
What does “defender (una propuesta)” mean in English?
to defend a proposal
to defend a proposal (defender ante el comité — arguing for the merits of a proposal in response to questions or objections)
Example sentences
Tuvo que defender la propuesta ante el comité, que planteó varias objeciones sobre el presupuesto previsto.
She had to defend the proposal before the committee, which raised several objections about the planned budget.
Estaba muy bien preparado y supo defender sus argumentos con datos concretos y ejemplos específicos.
He was very well prepared and was able to defend his arguments with concrete data and specific examples.
La candidata defendió su proyecto de investigación frente a un jurado de cinco expertos internacionales.
The candidate defended her research project before a panel of five international experts.
How to use it
Defender una propuesta means 'to defend a proposal' — to argue for its merits in response to questions, objections, or scepticism from an audience. It implies the proposal has been challenged and the presenter must justify it. Pattern: defender una propuesta / su postura / los resultados ante + audience. At B2, this is the third stage in the presentation-negotiation arc (present → explain → defend). Related: la defensa (defence), defendible (defensible).
Common mistake
Defender una propuesta (defend/argue for) ≠ proteger una propuesta (protect from harm). Defender in argumentative contexts is about justifying intellectual or strategic positions, not physical protection. The key collocation is defender + ante / frente a + opposition. The verb implies that criticism has been or will be raised — if there is no challenge, use presentar or exponer instead.