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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Four other defendants were also charged in his case, including three who pleaded guilty and served short prison terms.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
The defendants have been described by one defense lawyer as being video gamers and recreational gun enthusiasts who were engaged in puffery, nothing else.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Only Spotify is named as a defendant.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2025
That’s where Spanish interpreters such as Esquivias step in, especially in a busy border district where the majority of defendants are Spanish speakers.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
The defendants have been described by one defense lawyer as being video gamers and recreational gun enthusiasts who were engaged in puffery, nothing else.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Only Spotify is named as a defendant.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2025
That’s where Spanish interpreters such as Esquivias step in, especially in a busy border district where the majority of defendants are Spanish speakers.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
Noun
-
While undergoing the months-long program, offenders participate in half-day programming and half-day work, school, or vocational activities.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The danger of restoring offenders has played out in less formal ways.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To suggest that another candidate’s supporters are criminals — particularly when that candidate is, by all measures, poised to win at least a plurality of votes in the city — does not seem like a recipe for earning New Yorkers’ support.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Binance also lacked protocols — standard for financial services companies — to report transactions for money laundering risks, according to the Justice Department, and employees were well aware that such an oversight would invite criminals to the platform.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Police have not identified a suspect, and a description of the vehicle has not been released.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Speaking at the scene of the Huntingdon attack on Sunday morning, BTP Superintendent John Loveless said the suspect was arrested within eight minutes of the first emergency call being received.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But as Sollima noted to TIME, no perpetrator has been sentenced for all eight double homicides, and the initial suspects sent police in circles while the bodies kept piling up.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement The perpetrator of the attack is also never identified, an ambiguity that screenwriter Noah Oppenheim (The Maze Runner, Jackie) said was intended to prevent any audience scapegoating.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share