defendant

1 of 2

noun

de·​fen·​dant di-ˈfen-dənt How to pronounce defendant (audio)
in legal circles often
-ˌdant How to pronounce defendant (audio)
law
: a person or group against whom a criminal or civil action is brought : someone who is being sued or accused of committing a crime
if the jury finds the defendant not guilty
compare plaintiff

defendant

2 of 2

adjective

: being on the defensive : defending

Examples of defendant in a Sentence

Noun The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The chemical and rail car companies remain defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed by East Palestine residents, so they still may eventually be held partly responsible for the derailment. Josh Funk, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 An attorney representing Lord's parents spoke about Lord at each defendant's initial appearance. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 The prosecutors pointed out there was no evidence of a verdict mistake, internal or external pressure on the jury, or racist attitudes toward the defendant. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Court filings revealed the defendant started working for Google in 2019, focusing on software development for machine learning and AI programs. Robert Legare, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 Attorneys for the other two defendants did not return requests for comment. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Weisselberg was also among the defendants named in a 2022 lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) following her office’s investigation. El M. Calabrese, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 The lawsuit, filed Feb. 27 in federal court, names Scranton School District as the defendant. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Seven defendants, including Georgetown and Johns Hopkins, remain. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Parker's co-defendant, 26-year-old George Jealvontia Henderson of West Memphis, was given immunity from the charges in exchange for cooperating with then-prosecutor Scott Ellington, who was the 2nd Judicial District elected prosecuting attorney at the time. John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023 The trial of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and his associates late last year was a similarly complex, multi-defendant trial. Quinn Owen, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2023 Pattis did not explain what defendants hope to learn from Trump, only that he was joined in the subpoena effort by attorneys for co-defendant Dominic Pezzola. Rachel Weiner, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Feb. 2023 Calland notes that Adams and co-defendant Tenquarius Mender had asked for separate trials last year — and prosecutors fought them on it. Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2023 But to everyone's surprise, and Weston's delight, since Ramirez's statements also implicated her co-defendant Butler, the judge ruled the entire interview inadmissible. Gayane Keshishyan Mendez, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2023 Co-defendant Ryoo was convicted of second-degree murder and other crime and sentenced to 15 years to life plus 50 years in state prison. Staff Writer follow, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defendant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English defendaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French defendant, diffendaunt, noun derivative from present participle of defendre "to defend"

Adjective

Middle English defendaunt, from Anglo-French defendant, present participle of defendre "to defend"

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of defendant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near defendant

Cite this Entry

“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defendant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

defendant

noun
de·​fend·​ant
di-ˈfen-dənt
: a person who is being sued or accused in a legal action

Legal Definition

defendant

noun
de·​fen·​dant di-ˈfen-dənt, -ˌdant How to pronounce defendant (audio)
: the party against whom a criminal or civil action is brought see also answer, codefendant compare accused, plaintiff
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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