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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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 His co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking, and stalking resulting in death. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026 All six defendants initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but Brown has since pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Gorodetsky and Plascencia also both scheduled for change of plea hearings in November. — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 The other former frat members named as defendants in the lawsuit include Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026 Also on Tuesday, after weeks of testimonies from accusers, co-workers and Brand’s former personal assistant, the court heard from the defendant himself. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant

Noun

One of the key differences between this new ordinance and the previous two is the fine is steeper for first- and second-time offenders, which was a request from City Council.

— Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026
That feeling of closure was shattered last week when her attacker was paroled under a controversial law that makes nonviolent offenders eligible for early release.

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of offender

Noun

This can help prevent criminals from opening new credit accounts using your information.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Angie questioned whether another perpetrator may have been involved, since two weapons were used during the attacks.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
The last risk factor, according to Adshead, is the relationship between the perpetrator and her victim, and what happens between the two on the day itself.

— Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of defendant

noun

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