Protection is keeping someone or something safe from harm, danger, or damage. When you wear a helmet while biking, it provides protection for your head in case you fall. When a mother bird sits on her nest during a storm, she's giving her eggs protection from the wind and rain.

Protection can be physical, like the thick walls of a castle protecting the people inside from attack, or a phone case protecting your device from scratches. It can also mean safeguarding rights or interests: laws provide protection for workers so employers can't treat them unfairly. Environmental protection means preserving forests, rivers, and wildlife from pollution and destruction.

Sometimes protection involves preventing something bad before it happens. Sunscreen protects your skin from sunburn. A password protects your private information. A lawyer might work to protect a client's legal rights. Parents provide protection for their children in countless ways, from teaching them to look both ways before crossing the street to making sure they have warm coats in winter.

The word can also describe the person or thing doing the protecting: “Secret Service agents are the president's protection.” When something is under your protection, you're responsible for its safety.