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
The defendant in a years-old murder case was sentenced to 13 years, more than double the amount of time that prosecutors had initially sought to impose in a plea deal that a judge rejected.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Timothy McCormack is the first defendant to be sentenced for his role in a sweeping conspiracy allegedly involving former NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter that McCormack blamed on a gambling addiction.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
Unlike current statute governing insanity defenses, the bill pairs mental health treatment with prison time, meaning a defendant could not avoid incarceration, as Bojeh did.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
An Alford plea carries the same weight as a guilty plea, but the defendant does not admit guilt, only that there’s enough evidence to convict.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Timothy McCormack is the first defendant to be sentenced for his role in a sweeping conspiracy allegedly involving former NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter that McCormack blamed on a gambling addiction.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
Unlike current statute governing insanity defenses, the bill pairs mental health treatment with prison time, meaning a defendant could not avoid incarceration, as Bojeh did.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
An Alford plea carries the same weight as a guilty plea, but the defendant does not admit guilt, only that there’s enough evidence to convict.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
Noun
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Boardman imposed a sentence of 97 months, citing Roske’s mental health and concerns about incarceration conditions and his status as a first-time criminal offender.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Since 2013, the law has allowed juvenile offenders serving life without parole to petition to have their sentence recalled and to be resentenced.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The first thing to do is to reduce the damage to the United States, the inflow of guns and criminals and immigrants and drugs into the United States, the destabilizing of a key part of the Western Hemisphere.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The victim prepared to leave the area 15 minutes later, and the suspect, now identified as Masters, 53, was still in the area.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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An investigation identified the suspect as 23-year-old Sidney Dillon Pittman, who lives at the home the delivery driver visited by accident, court records show.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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In many cases, the perpetrator is also the employer who controls not only wages and work hours, but housing and transportation, creating an extreme power imbalance in which retaliation can mean losing a job, losing shelter, or being forced deeper into poverty.—
Mónica Ramírez,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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