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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The program, which is likely to run in the afternoons or evenings, and would be open anyone looking to change careers, returning veterans and ex-offenders, Awwad said.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
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All colors change under different lights, but white is one of the biggest offenders due to its highly reflective quality.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Noun
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These people are vital to the Florida economy, yet they are being rounded up like criminals.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Aug. 2025
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The criminals are watching and waiting for the next soft target.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The 20-year-old male suspect, a Chinese passport holder with the last name Zhang, attempted the act on a Cathay Pacific flight early Thursday and was reported to police, a Hong Kong Police Force spokesperson told NBC News by phone on Friday.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
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Police subsequently said the suspect was set to appear in court for an arraignment on Friday, Dec 12, but did not specify any charges.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The center also noted that about 68% of mass shooting cases that occurred from 2014 to 2019 included a perpetrator who either killed family or intimate partners, or had a history of domestic violence.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
11 June 2026
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After the leaker was discovered, Bravo released a statement and confirmed that the perpetrator had been fired.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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