defendant

noun

Definition of defendantnext
as in offender
a person who is being sued or accused of a crime in a court of law The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of defendant The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court also convicted the defendants of being members or supporters of a terrorist organization. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Nationally, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force model has prosecuted more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal healthcare programs and private insurers more than $45 billion, according to the DOJ. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2026 The Washington Post also reported that charges against the three remaining defendants were dropped and noted that Carreno was fired from his job as a government contractor as a result of the case. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The defendants dispute wrongdoing, and Bravo says an outside investigation found allegations against Cohen unsubstantiated. — Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
  1. offender
  2. criminal
  3. suspect
  4. perpetrator
Noun
  • Sehnaoui's meeting with the Israeli leader occurred as some in Lebanon have called for abolishing a 1955 law that bans dealing with Israel or having contacts with Israelis and punishes offenders with up to 10 years in jail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • Because of his previous felonies, though none for violent crimes, Pfister could now be defined as a habitual offender under Michigan law and faces prison.
    — Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • More than a year earlier, Arlington, Massachusetts sent four straight monthly payments totaling $446,000 to a criminal who had impersonated a real vendor and asked to switch from paper checks to electronic transfer.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Do not ignore a small charge because criminals sometimes use minor transactions to test an account.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele, was spotted by plainclothes federal agents who observed odd behavior and subsequently contacted the Lomita Sheriff Department deputies.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2026
  • At the time of his arrest authorities also determined that Taele was a suspect in a robbery case being investigated by the El Segundo Police Department.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspect
Noun
  • This one-character difference led them not to the perpetrator but to a Canadian man named Brandon Klayme.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • The perpetrator of parental alienation can employ a variety of tactics, including when one parent tells the child that the other parent hates the child or that the other parent is abusive, Psychology Today also said.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of perpetrator

Browse Nearby Words

defendable
defendant
defendants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on defendant

Nglish: Translation of defendant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defendant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All