defendant

American  

[dih-fen-duhnt, -dant] / dɪˈfɛn dənt, -dænt /

noun

1. Law. a person, company, etc., against whom a claim or charge is brought in a court (plaintiff ).

2. Obsolete. defender.

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adjective

1. making one's defense; defending.

   a defendant corporation.

2. Obsolete. defensive.

defendant British  

/ dɪˈfɛndənt /

noun

1. a person against whom an action or claim is brought in a court of law Compare plaintiff

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adjective

1. making a defence; defending

defendant Cultural  

1. The party that is being sued in court. (Compare plaintiff.)

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Other Word Forms

• nondefendant noun
• undefendant adjective

Etymology

Origin of defendant

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English defendaunt, from Anglo-French ( Middle French, Old French defendant ). See defend, -ant

Example Sentences

Nikola Selakovic and the three other defendants were jeered as "thieves" by dozens of protesters as they arrived at the Belgrade court.

From Barron's

Addressing the defendant, the judge said "you appear upset, unusually so", adding that Friday - when Ruben is due to be sentenced - will be "much more emotional".

From BBC

The alleged events took place in 2018 and it was not until after the defendant's arrest in 2024 that police found videos on his phone.

From BBC

The Court of Appeal found “the trial court’s handling of the note deprived defendant of his constitutional right to counsel at a critical stage of his trial.”

From Los Angeles Times

Two defendants invoke the former, while members of the church that was the target of protest invoke the latter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• litigant
• offender
• prisoner
• suspect