Synonyms of defendants

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.

Related Words

• offenders
• criminals
• suspects
• accused
• perpetrators
• culprits
• convicts
• arrestees
• detainees
• accomplices
• principals
• fish
• lawbreakers
• misdemeanants
• crooks
• malefactors
• miscreants
• outlaws
• desperadoes
• jailbirds
• villains
• wrongdoers
• trespassers
• perps
• racketeers
• gangsters
• thugs
• sinners
• mobsters
• hoodlums
• transgressors
• guns
• hooligans
• recidivists
• triggermen
• misdoers
• misfeasors
• evildoers
• gallows birds
• enforcers
• blackhanders
• backsliders
• gunmen
• button men
• gunsels
• hit men
• relapsers
• repeaters

Dissimilar Words

• lawmen
• gangbusters

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defendants

Newsom and other opponents of capital punishment have long argued that the process is costly, cruel and discriminatory, with death sentences disproportionately handed down to defendants of color. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

At the time, the defendants essentially treated the suit as sour grapes and a money grab by the estate. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026

Walt Olsen died a few months later, and the other defendants reached out-of-court settlements — all except DeFalco. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026

Many of the case dismissals granted motions to dismiss filed by Elias Law Group on behalf of the intervenor-defendants. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026

They should be required to obtain independent evidence before presenting a match to a witness, and judges and defendants should be told whether the technology has been used in a case. — Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Shahrzad Shahbazi, a lawyer representing defendants in the case, has disputed the official account, saying none had formally been charged with murder and there was no fair trial. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Alvin Hellerstein, a federal judge who for decades oversaw some of the country's most high-profile cases, counting among his defendants presidents and CEOs, has died, a spokesperson for the Southern District of New York confirmed Wednesday. — Graham Kates, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

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