defendantnoun [ C ]
uk/dɪˈfen.dənt/us/dɪˈfen.dənt/specializeda person in a law case who is accused of having done something illegal
Compare
plaintiff
Examples
- The jury concluded from the evidence that the defendant was innocent.
- The defendant is accused of a range of crimes, from theft to murder.
- The judge directed the defendant to remain silent.
- The defendant sat impassively in the dock while evidence was given against him.
- A jury should not interpret the silence of a defendant as a sign of guilt.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
People appearing in court
- defence
- eyewitness
- Jane Doe
- John Doe
- respondent
- suspect
- the accused
- undertrial
- v
- versus
- witness
Examples from literature
- Defendant, what have you to say in your defense?
- I suppose that it is for the jury to determine whether the defendant is guilty of a crime or not.
- If the case has attracted much attention, the juror knows the prevailing ideas as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
- Q. Were you present when defendant first offered his land for sale to the plaintiff?
- You had quarreled with the defendant, with whom you had formerly been on friendly terms.