defendants

noun

plural of defendant
as in offenders
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 defendants Doe alleged the defendants snorted ketamine off her body and forced her to do the same off theirs. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2026 The civil action names High Meadow Management Company and 311 LLC — the latter of which owns the property — as defendants. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 The ongoing civil lawsuit may also bring about systemic changes, even as some accuse Cornell of treating the seven defendants too lightly. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 1 Oct. 2026 The mid-September 2026 announcement stated that 19 defendants faced charges; two had just pleaded guilty, while the remainder are slated for trial in April 2027. — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 Fox News Digital also reached out to attorneys for the remaining defendants. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 While those defendants appeared in a Miami federal court on Monday Pierre appeared before Quebec Superior Court Judge Annie Émond. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026 The Federal Defender Program represents defendants who cannot afford a lawyer. — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Selzer's attorneys at FIRE and her co-defendants also celebrated the ruling. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendants
  1. offenders
  2. criminals
  3. suspects
Noun
  • The prosecutor’s office stated that the Supreme Court could have applied a different interpretation of the law to ensure certain offenders remained on the public list.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Wiener has passed laws protecting net neutrality, capping prescription costs and mandating mental health parity, ending mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, and requiring corporations disclose their greenhouse gas emissions.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of offenders
Noun
  • The Financial Action Task Force, the global money-laundering watchdog, has warned that criminals exploit citizenship and residency programs to conceal their identities, launder illicit wealth and evade justice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In a world that escalated from criminals planning a heist to steal DVD players to flying in a rocketship to space, anything’s possible.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • Two suspects hit several businesses in the Fairfax District early Tuesday morning, with one suspect in police custody.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 6 May 2026
  • Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended.
    — Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025
Definition of suspects

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Cite this Entry

“Defendants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendants. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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