defendant

[dih-fen-duhnt, -dant]

noun

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

2. Obsolete.,  defender.

adjective

1. making one's defense; defending.

   a defendant corporation.

2. Obsolete.,  defensive.

defendant

/ dɪˈfɛndənt /

noun

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

adjective

1. making a defence; defending

defendant

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

Other Word Forms

• nondefendant noun
• undefendant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of defendant¹

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

Example Sentences

Inside, she called her husband while the defendants "continued to bang on the front door".

From BBC

The judge told the defendant, who had been on remand throughout his trial, that the options for his sentencing next month included prison or two types of hospital order.

From BBC

“Those unresolved mental health challenges led defendant to convey the fake threat as an excuse to get out of an ongoing meeting. That decision was misguided and dangerous, but it was also an aberration.”

From Los Angeles Times

He said the defendants were "motivated by hostilities to a racial group or a perceived racial group."

From BBC

"It will be interesting to see what the defendant comes up with," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• litigant 
• offender 
• prisoner 
• suspect