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.

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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
  • This high-security prison is a sprawling complex that houses thousands of detainees, including notorious gangsters, terrorists and prominent white-collar offenders.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But court documents filed by Bussett in December allege that both victims and their families were told by the district attorney’s office that Butler would plead guilty and serve time at a juvenile facility in exchange for a youthful offender status.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 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
  • In that case, the perpetrator was determined to be a disgruntled patient, Derderian said.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Local police previously said on Facebook that there had been reports of seven deaths, including the perpetrator, while multiple people had been injured in the attack.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of perpetrator

Browse Nearby Words

defendable
defendant
defendants
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Cite this Entry

“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defendant

Nglish: Translation of defendant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defendant

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