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
In Wisconsin, defendants are required to post their entire bail amount before being released.
—
Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
The city of Sebastopol is named as a defendant in the filing, too.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Prosecutors argued that Lomeli acted as a lookout at the top of a ravine while another defendant shot Rendon.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are named as defendants.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
The city of Sebastopol is named as a defendant in the filing, too.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Prosecutors argued that Lomeli acted as a lookout at the top of a ravine while another defendant shot Rendon.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are named as defendants.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
Noun
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President Trump's bold leadership will restore our nation's capital by creating opportunities for businesses to flourish without fear of criminals looting and destroying their property.—
Theo Burman
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Stealing America's Most Famous Pair of Shoes (Hulu, Aug. 26) In 2005, one of the most ambitious movie memorabilia heists of all time happened, with a very unusual criminal behind it.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The shooting in January 2023 sparked criticism of how police interact with suspects experiencing a mental health crisis.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Neighbors are on edge with the suspect on the loose.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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