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

The judge disqualified Essalyi from participating in the cases of the defendants at issue.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In L.A. and across the country, defendants accused of assaulting federal officers have won acquittals or had charges dropped.

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He has been testifying as a defendant in his trial since last December while Israel has been at war, and hasn’t been convicted.

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A spokesperson for the defendant claimed he had not fully understood the contents of the deportation order because he had not had an interpreter in court in 2020 and 2022.

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She said that while three defendants were acquitted by the appeals court, it had increased others' sentences.

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Related Words

• litigant 
• offender 
• prisoner 
• suspect