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 The lawsuit says the hazing was conducted or overseen by a group of fraternity leaders named as defendants. — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026 Attorneys for the three defendants did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 Two other defendants, Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, were executed July 19, bringing the total number of executions in the case to four. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 Kaye then turned his attention once more to the defendant, who was headed to Knott’s Berry Farm to celebrate his graduation with family. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for defendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant

Noun

Sehnaoui's meeting with the Israeli leader occurred as some in Lebanon have called for abolishing a 1955 law that bans dealing with Israel or having contacts with Israelis and punishes offenders with up to 10 years in jail.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Because of his previous felonies, though none for violent crimes, Pfister could now be defined as a habitual offender under Michigan law and faces prison.

— Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Definition of offender

Noun

More than a year earlier, Arlington, Massachusetts sent four straight monthly payments totaling $446,000 to a criminal who had impersonated a real vendor and asked to switch from paper checks to electronic transfer.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Do not ignore a small charge because criminals sometimes use minor transactions to test an account.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

The killer stole one TV from the apartment but left behind a recording device, allowing police to recover the video of the hooded suspect arriving, police have said.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026
Detectives identified Stevenson Tuimavave as the primary suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest and a search of his home, police said.

— Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 21 July 2026

Definition of suspect

Noun

This one-character difference led them not to the perpetrator but to a Canadian man named Brandon Klayme.

— Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
The perpetrator of parental alienation can employ a variety of tactics, including when one parent tells the child that the other parent hates the child or that the other parent is abusive, Psychology Today also said.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 July 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of defendant

noun

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