defendant
Americannoun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of defendant
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English defendaunt, from Anglo-French ( Middle French, Old French defendant ). See defend, -ant
Explanation
In court, the person who gets sued or accused is called a defendant — they have to defend their innocence or reputation. One thing no one wants to be is a defendant: that means someone sued you, which could cost you a boatload of money. Other defendants are accused of crimes, which is even worse, because you could end up in jail. Turn on any TV show about lawyers, and you'll see some of them defending the defendant, and others trying to convict the defendant. Defendants are definitely on the defensive.
Vocabulary lists containing defendant
Monster
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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Excerpts from "Jacobson v. Massachusetts"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He is, however, a defendant in multiple civil lawsuits in which insurance policyholders claim he and several of his companies committed fraud and breach of contract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
SafeSport, a non-profit established to prevent the abuse of athletes and and address misconduct allegations, was dismissed as a defendant in two lawsuits filed by gymnasts that allege the organization did not properly investigate Gardner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
In their submission to the court, the government said: "Libya was permitted to transfer the defendant to the United States under any method it chose."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
"After a while co-workers noticed the defendant appeared to have a lavish lifestyle," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“What led you to investigate the defendant in the first place? Why did you think to look around his boat and to notice something like a new mooring line?”
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
It’s not clear whether Hawkins or the other defendants received the pills.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Lawyers for several defendants have asked a judge to disqualify James as special prosecutor, citing her initial statements about the lawsuit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The judge ruled that the three Mexican defendants acted with premeditation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
During the month-long trial, the prosecution had sought 150 years in prison for each of the three defendants.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
It amazed them, it made them angry, and several of them—the pharmacist, the manager of the bowling alley—stared at the defendants with total contempt.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
