de·fen·dant
di-ˈfen-dənt 
in legal circles often
-ˌdant
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
Examples of defendant in a Sentence
Noun
The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit puts the Duke of Sussex in an unusual position as a defendant in the High Court.
—Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
At issue in the California case was whether Instagram and co-defendant YouTube were designed to addict kids, and whether the companies failed to warn families of those dangers.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The doc includes an exclusive interview with Alessandra Ballerini, the lawyer who assisted the Regeni family in their long legal battle that has led to a trial being held in Italy of four Egyptian national security agents, without the defendants being physically present.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit puts the Duke of Sussex in an unusual position as a defendant in the High Court.
—Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Moss’ cross-examination undercut the credibility of the government’s main cooperating witness, Perera, who was not charged with Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer, a Miami political consultant.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
At issue in the California case was whether Instagram and co-defendant YouTube were designed to addict kids, and whether the companies failed to warn families of those dangers.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defendant. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
defendant
noun
de·fen·dant
di-ˈfen-dənt, -ˌdant
: the party against whom a criminal or civil action is brought see also answer, codefendant compare accused, plaintiff
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
