(DoD) The employment of limited offensive action and counterattacks to deny a contested area or position to the enemy. See also passive defense.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). active defense. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/active_defense/definitions/1960081 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "active defense" http://smartdefine.org/active_defense/definitions/1960081 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, active defense, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/active_defense/definitions/1960081>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "active defense" 4 April 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/active_defense/definitions/1960081> |