public defender
noun
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 defenders
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pluralof public defender.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
"Our client's choice to consent to removal should not be seen as an endorsement of this court's legitimacy," public defenders Matthew Farley and Mary Manning Petras said in a statement to The Washington Post.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
“I would expect the public defenders will reinvigorate their challenge to Essayli,” said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor and former federal prosecutor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
I supported pulling more public defenders onto the bench, and I still think that overall, it has a lot of benefits.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Allen was represented by a pair of federal public defenders, whom Sharbaugh appointed to defend him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
When I searched online for his name, I found a website with a list of public defenders.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
