public defender

American  

noun

• public defenders
  plural

1. a lawyer appointed or elected by a city or county as a full-time, official defender to represent indigents in criminal cases at public expense.

---

public defender British  

noun

1. (in the US) a lawyer engaged at public expense to represent indigent defendants

---

public defender Cultural  

1. An attorney who is appointed and paid by a court to defend poor persons who cannot afford a lawyer.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• public defenders
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of public defender

First recorded in 1915–20

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public defender

I think every role that I play has a little bit of me in it, and I basically play Kenny Boy if he became a public defender.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Her appointment fills one of the White House's most visible positions, with the press secretary responsible for briefing journalists, fielding questions about administration policies and serving as a chief public defender of the president.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

He is now being represented by a public defender and is due back in court on 19 October.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Look, Judge Freeman was a federal public defender for 13 years.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

His public defender stood beside him, lifted a legal pad full of notes, and cleared his throat.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---