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
Most of the defendants are of Somali descent.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Stainton repeatedly questioned why Ryan believes Horner’s story about the cocaine when the defendant lied about other things.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Musk and the OpenAI defendants will each be afforded 22 hours to present their case during the liability phase, Gonzalez Rogers said in a court filing earlier this month.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
In the end, attorneys and defendants try to carefully consider the benefits and risks of putting a defendant on the stand.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Stainton repeatedly questioned why Ryan believes Horner’s story about the cocaine when the defendant lied about other things.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Musk and the OpenAI defendants will each be afforded 22 hours to present their case during the liability phase, Gonzalez Rogers said in a court filing earlier this month.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
In the end, attorneys and defendants try to carefully consider the benefits and risks of putting a defendant on the stand.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
Noun
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Court records show Abugharbieh entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors.—
Holly Ramer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Per the alert, surveillance footage showed that in each of the incidents, one offender gained access by breaking into several vehicle windows and then proceeding to remove valuable items inside the cars.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Police could not immediately describe the third suspect.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
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Investigators said the argument escalated into a physical fight when the female suspect began swinging and striking the victim in the chest and head and then pulling her hair.—
Alexa Ashwell,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Where a victim has deliberately been lured to a potentially dangerous setting and then abandoned, the perpetrator may be suffering from a personality disorder, Hemmings said.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Often in kidnapping cases, the easiest way to find the perpetrator is by having someone close to them, or someone who has seen something strange, call the authorities.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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