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.
Investigators found text messages between the defendant and Whitehouse in which she regularly begged Azim to see her and accused him of seeing other women.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Under the current law, judges must presume mental illness was a factor if a defendant with a legitimate diagnosis seeks diversion.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Before the 1970s, courts were extremely skeptical of the uneven bargaining power and information between the government and defendant, and voided plea bargains, if they even had to consider them at all.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
If the defendant does so, the SEC can invalidate any settlement and reopen the case.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
I gave a brief history of the case and informed the court that both the defendant and the State were moving the court to dismiss all charges.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions 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.
