codefendant
noun
co·de·fen·dant
ˌkō-di-ˈfen-dənt 
in legal circles often -ˌdant
variants
or co-defendant
plural codefendants or co-defendants
: a defendant in the same lawsuit or criminal prosecution as another defendant or group of defendants : a joint defendant
… the defendant argued that it was plain error for the trial court to have permitted the prosecution to treat his co-defendant as hostile …—
State v. Saenz, 370 P.3d 1278 (2016)
State v. Saenz, 370 P.3d 1278 (2016)Examples of codefendant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a dramatic turn, his codefendant, Scott, struck a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a lesser accessory charge in return for testifying against her lover in court.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
His most recent comments came after Maxwell, Epstein's codefendant, agreed to provide testimony to a congressional committee in response to subpoena if the panel granted her immunity.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 July 2025
According to Pierre's arrest affidavit, when Dominguez and the other victims in the case were leaving the club, the driver pulled the car around and parked behind the vehicle of Pierre's codefendant in the case.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Feb. 2025
Smith’s codefendant, Trevor Joe Begay, 24, pleaded guilty to the same charges in September and received 365 months, or 30 years, in prison, said the release.
—Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 31 July 2025
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Chris Spargo, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
His most recent comments came after Maxwell, Epstein's codefendant, agreed to provide testimony to a congressional committee in response to subpoena if the panel granted her immunity.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 July 2025
According to Pierre's arrest affidavit, when Dominguez and the other victims in the case were leaving the club, the driver pulled the car around and parked behind the vehicle of Pierre's codefendant in the case.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Feb. 2025
Smith’s codefendant, Trevor Joe Begay, 24, pleaded guilty to the same charges in September and received 365 months, or 30 years, in prison, said the release.
—Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for codefendant
Cite this Entry
“Codefendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codefendant. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
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