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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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 Unlike his co-defendants, Abbatiello was initially denied bail, and he has since been held at the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026 The complaint names Clark and Johanna Morgan and South Chicago Chapel as defendants, alongside the facility’s owner and contract buyer. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 Not guilty pleas were entered on the defendant's behalf following the judge's ruling. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 The defendant and his attorney, Michael Sanft, wrap arms around one another, whispering a few final thoughts before the moment of judgment. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant

Noun

First-time targeting offenders do not receive any additional sanctions.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026
Most of the offenders, too, appear to be delis and bodegas and fast-casual food carts, venues where quality is secondary to moving product quickly and cheaply out the door.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of offender

Noun

Most crimes across Mexico went unsolved, and authorities sometimes appeared to be colluding with criminals instead of fighting them.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Keeping email, downloads and everyday web activity away from that machine reduces the opportunities criminals have to reach it.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Two people were stabbed, one fatally, near Times Square on Monday afternoon, with responding authorities shooting and killing the female suspect, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
Anderson, who long had been considered a suspect in Shakur’s killing, denied involvement before his death in an unrelated Compton shooting in 1998 at age 23.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of suspect

Noun

Both of the victims, as well as the alleged perpetrator, were taken to Bellevue Hospital.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
This Sundance Film Festival hit, a stunning depiction of childhood trauma told from a child’s perspective, also stars Philip Ettinger as the perpetrator of that act and Gemma Chan as the titular heroine’s mother.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 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 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of defendant

noun

Example Sentences

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