defendant

[dih-fen-duh nt or especially in court for 1, -dant]

See more synonyms for defendant on Thesaurus.com

noun

Law. a person, company, etc., against whom a claim or charge is brought in a court (opposed to plaintiff).
Obsolete. defender.

adjective

making one's defense; defending: a defendant corporation.
Obsolete. defensive.

Origin of defendant

1275–1325; Middle English defendaunt < Anglo-French (Middle French, Old French defendant). See defend, -ant

Related formsnon·de·fend·ant, nounun·de·fend·ant, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for defendant

Contemporary Examples

The complaint continues, “During this period of time, defendant escaped police custody.”
Protesters Slimed This Good Samaritan Cop
Michael Daly
December 16, 2014
“Defendant moved his hands in a manner so as to avoid the application of handcuffs to his wrists,” the complaint says.
Protesters Slimed This Good Samaritan Cop
Michael Daly
December 16, 2014
They obtained a gag order against the defendant and his lawyers restricting what they could say about the case for several months.
Sentencing Looms for Barrett Brown, Advocate for “Anonymous”
Kevin M. Gallagher
December 15, 2014
“He might want 50 of this size and 40 of these,” said Crowder, who has been named as a defendant in dozens of lawsuits.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’
The Center for Investigative Reporting
November 3, 2014
“The defendant told me he did not want to go back so jail,” the affidavit says.
The Muslim Convert Behind America’s First Workplace Beheading
Michael Daly
September 27, 2014

Historical Examples

In all this Eleazer had the air of conducting the case for the defendant.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
And you, Cabasse, have you nothing to say either for or against the defendant?
The Downfall
Emile Zola
Rufus Choate represented the defendant and Daniel Webster the plaintiff.
The Age of Invention
Holland Thompson
The witness remembered how at the inquiry the defendant Ray had defended his accomplice.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine
Then tell the court how you came to identify the defendant as Drayton.
A Son of Hagar
Sir Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for defendant

defendant

noun

a person against whom an action or claim is brought in a court of lawCompare plaintiff

adjective

making a defence; defending

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for defendant

n.

c.1400, in the legal sense, from French défendant, present participle of défendre (see defend). Earliest use in English was as a present participle adjective meaning "defending" (c.1300).

defendant in Culture

defendant

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

defendant

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}defendant

Examples from the Web for defendant

Contemporary Examples

The complaint continues, “During this period of time, defendant escaped police custody.”

“Defendant moved his hands in a manner so as to avoid the application of handcuffs to his wrists,” the complaint says.

They obtained a gag order against the defendant and his lawyers restricting what they could say about the case for several months.

“He might want 50 of this size and 40 of these,” said Crowder, who has been named as a defendant in dozens of lawsuits.

“The defendant told me he did not want to go back so jail,” the affidavit says.

Historical Examples

In all this Eleazer had the air of conducting the case for the defendant.

And you, Cabasse, have you nothing to say either for or against the defendant?

Rufus Choate represented the defendant and Daniel Webster the plaintiff.

The witness remembered how at the inquiry the defendant Ray had defended his accomplice.

Then tell the court how you came to identify the defendant as Drayton.

defendant

Word Origin and History for defendant

n.

defendant

Origin of defendant