1 : statements affirming or denying certain matters of fact that you are prepared to prove
2 : the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims
3 : something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary
