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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Recent Examples of defendant
Additionally, five of the defendants are scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Friday.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Among the defendants are the Getty Villa, SoCalGas, Southern California Edison, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and three communications companies.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 June 2026
In one of the fraud allegations, authorities alleged that the two companies and some defendants conspired together to defraud the apartment owners of Wang Fuk Court by concealing previous litigation records of Prestige and inflating the score given to the firm in a tender analysis report.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
About 30 family members and friends attended the hearing in support of both defendants.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Among the defendants are the Getty Villa, SoCalGas, Southern California Edison, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and three communications companies.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 June 2026
In one of the fraud allegations, authorities alleged that the two companies and some defendants conspired together to defraud the apartment owners of Wang Fuk Court by concealing previous litigation records of Prestige and inflating the score given to the firm in a tender analysis report.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
About 30 family members and friends attended the hearing in support of both defendants.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
Noun
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Dark Wood Furniture Dark furniture is one of the worst offenders in narrow spaces.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
7 June 2026
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It's designed for first-time offenders.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Noun
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An allegation last year by a provincial police commander that top officers and officials were colluding with organized criminals led Ramaphosa to announce a national investigation into police corruption.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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Roman emperors, sometimes urged on by the crowd, were known to grant pardons (to criminals) and freedom (to the enslaved) after an especially noteworthy performance.—
Cullen Murphy,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Witnesses provided officers with a photograph and description of the suspect's vehicle, helping investigators quickly identify and locate Harmon.—
Caroline Foreback,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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Working in conjunction with the FBI, the Pima County Sheriff's Department has continued to turn over new leads — from DNA evidence recovered at Nancy's home to a suspect and his mother being detained in connection with the case.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Over the course of multiple sessions, Alex was able to recall several details from the traumatic event — including a description of the perpetrator.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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The third and fourth sections are, respectively, a somewhat non-traditional perpetrator and a man who seeks out his abuser many years later.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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