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
None of the defendants appeared to acknowledge each other before or after the hearing, arriving Thursday morning and leaving separately from the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on Clay Street.
—
Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Lawyers for both defendants declined to comment after court.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Tarrio also urged other defendants to publicize names of agents.
—Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
Trump granted clemency to every defendant accused of committing crimes that day in one of his first acts after returning to the White House.
—Ryan Lucas, NPR, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for defendant 
Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Lawyers for both defendants declined to comment after court.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
Tarrio also urged other defendants to publicize names of agents.
—Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
Trump granted clemency to every defendant accused of committing crimes that day in one of his first acts after returning to the White House.
—Ryan Lucas, NPR, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for defendant
Thesaurus Entries Near defendant
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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