public defender

American  

noun

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.

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public defender British  

noun

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

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public defender Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of public defender

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Wilson, the public defender, described an outpouring of grief and anger in Australia that is "unprecedented, extraordinary and absolutely understandable".

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Grillo’s appointed deputy federal public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Defense attorney Kimberly Greene, a deputy public defender, entered a plea of not guilty on Reiner’s behalf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Unlike people held under criminal jurisdiction, detained immigrants lack a public defender or any insight into how long they must stay.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

What if she’d been able to afford to pay a lawyer to defend Richard when he was fourteen instead of letting him be represented by the public defender?

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater