de·fen·dant
di-ˈfen-dənt 
in legal circles often
-ˌdant
law
: a person or group against whom a criminal or civil action is brought : someone who is being sued or accused of committing a crime
if the jury finds the defendant not guilty
compare plaintiff
Examples of defendant in a Sentence
Noun
The jury believed that the defendant was guilty.
Recent Examples on the Web
Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 13 Apr. 2024
The defense countered that the celebrity defendant was framed by racist white police.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The media here, in all its forms, eagerly chronicled his dizzying narrative arc, from star athlete to television personality, from murder defendant to prison inmate, and, finally, sad meme.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The Thanh Nien newspaper said 84 defendants in the case received sentences ranging from probation for three years to life imprisonment.
—Reuters, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
According to federal prosecutors, Harris moved into the room when Biden left, discovered the items and conspired with another defendant, Robert Kurlander, to sell them.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Applications also rose at the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which was a defendant in the landmark Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.
—Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
More than 100 on the lam The FBI’s field office in Miami estimates there are more than 100 defendants on the lam from active Medicare fraud cases in South Florida.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
All but one of the 12 defendants who went to trial were convicted in what still stands as the longest trial in Georgia history.
—Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2024
John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
The trial of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and his associates late last year was a similarly complex, multi-defendant trial.
—Quinn Owen, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2023
Pattis did not explain what defendants hope to learn from Trump, only that he was joined in the subpoena effort by attorneys for co-defendant Dominic Pezzola.
—Rachel Weiner, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Feb. 2023
Calland notes that Adams and co-defendant Tenquarius Mender had asked for separate trials last year — and prosecutors fought them on it.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2023
But to everyone's surprise, and Weston's delight, since Ramirez's statements also implicated her co-defendant Butler, the judge ruled the entire interview inadmissible.
—Gayane Keshishyan Mendez, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2023
Co-defendant Ryoo was convicted of second-degree murder and other crime and sentenced to 15 years to life plus 50 years in state prison.
—Staff Writer
follow, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Noun
The plaintiffs were asking for many things, including an injunction ordering the defendants to remove the foundation constructed within the easement and to modify their construction plans.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 13 Apr. 2024
The defense countered that the celebrity defendant was framed by racist white police.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The media here, in all its forms, eagerly chronicled his dizzying narrative arc, from star athlete to television personality, from murder defendant to prison inmate, and, finally, sad meme.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The Thanh Nien newspaper said 84 defendants in the case received sentences ranging from probation for three years to life imprisonment.
—Reuters, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
According to federal prosecutors, Harris moved into the room when Biden left, discovered the items and conspired with another defendant, Robert Kurlander, to sell them.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Applications also rose at the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which was a defendant in the landmark Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.
—Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
More than 100 on the lam The FBI’s field office in Miami estimates there are more than 100 defendants on the lam from active Medicare fraud cases in South Florida.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
All but one of the 12 defendants who went to trial were convicted in what still stands as the longest trial in Georgia history.
—Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Parker's co-defendant, 26-year-old George Jealvontia Henderson of West Memphis, was given immunity from the charges in exchange for cooperating with then-prosecutor Scott Ellington, who was the 2nd Judicial District elected prosecuting attorney at the time.
—John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
The trial of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and his associates late last year was a similarly complex, multi-defendant trial.
—Quinn Owen, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2023
Pattis did not explain what defendants hope to learn from Trump, only that he was joined in the subpoena effort by attorneys for co-defendant Dominic Pezzola.
—Rachel Weiner, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Feb. 2023
Calland notes that Adams and co-defendant Tenquarius Mender had asked for separate trials last year — and prosecutors fought them on it.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2023
But to everyone's surprise, and Weston's delight, since Ramirez's statements also implicated her co-defendant Butler, the judge ruled the entire interview inadmissible.
—Gayane Keshishyan Mendez, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2023
Co-defendant Ryoo was convicted of second-degree murder and other crime and sentenced to 15 years to life plus 50 years in state prison.
—Staff Writer
follow, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defendant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near defendant
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defendant. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
defendant
noun
de·fen·dant
di-ˈfen-dənt, -ˌdant
: the party against whom a criminal or civil action is brought see also answer, codefendant compare accused, plaintiff
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