DEFENDANT Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

defendant

noun

Definition of defendant

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.

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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 Although Fang was charged in a single incident, authorities allege the defendant was responsible for a string of hateful messages found across the Northern California campus. — Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 The court always allows the families of crime victims to speak in court before defendants are sentenced. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026 The lawsuit also named current Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, Attorney General Tarek William Saab and the state oil company PDVSA as defendants. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 Cooper also took aim at California’s mental health diversion program, which allows eligible defendants to receive treatment instead of traditional criminal penalties. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for defendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant

Noun

Independence Day celebrations come in the most challenging threat environment since 9/11, with the ongoing terror threat, a rise in political violence and continuing fears about lone-wolf offenders, according to Raia.

— Luke Barr, ABC News, 3 July 2026
There were also concerns listed in the analysis that the registry, which dates back to 1947, could include LGBTQ+ offenders from decades ago who were convicted of offenses that are no longer crimes.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of offender

Noun

Data that appears to be compliance information to a regulator can appear to be a target list to a criminal.

— Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
The Colorado attorney general oversees more than 700 attorneys and staff and manages legal manners spanning consumer protection, civil rights, criminal, water, constitutional and environmental law.

— Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Several years before, in 1991, an unknown perpetrator set fire to a portion of the Willamette National Forest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
The perpetrator, Omar Mateen, was born in New York to Afghan immigrant parents and had pledged his loyalty to the Islamic State.

— Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2026

Definition of perpetrator

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defendable

defendant

defendants

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“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of defendant

noun

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