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
Prosecutors noted that once a defendant is found not competent and not restorable, there is no legal path to continue a criminal case.
—
Stepheny Price , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Duncan Disposal, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, is accused of vicarious liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent entrustment.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The last day in court, her lawyer, Antoine Camus, began saying that even though all 51 defendants had been found guilty, the weapon of the crime—Coco—had not been put on trial.
—Glamour, 1 Apr. 2026
Naughton, who is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Stepheny Price , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Duncan Disposal, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, is accused of vicarious liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent entrustment.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
The last day in court, her lawyer, Antoine Camus, began saying that even though all 51 defendants had been found guilty, the weapon of the crime—Coco—had not been put on trial.
—Glamour, 1 Apr. 2026
Naughton, who is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant
Noun
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Anyone can see how many cases are filed, how much attorneys collect, and who the worst offenders are.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
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Punish the worst offenders by requiring them to apologize, publicly, for missing the mark.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Göring, played by Russell Crowe, is the troubling centerpiece of James Vanderbilt’s ambitious film devoted to the trial of the major Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg in 1945–1946.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Also included is a 13% increase in funding for the Department of Justice to focus on violent criminals and a $481 million increase in funding to enhance aviation safety and support an air traffic controller hiring surge.—
LISA MASCARO,
Arkansas Online,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Authorities identified her husband, Stephen Bowen, as the suspect, and he was arrested on Wednesday.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The suspect has been identified as 64-year-old James Andrew Thompson, and his wife was the first to call for help, Hickory police said in an April 3 news release.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Lauderhill police said that in self-defense, the mother then stabbed the perpetrator, but even that wasn't enough to subdue her.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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An unknown perpetrator threw several Molotov cocktails at a Russian center in Prague promoting culture and history, Czech police said on Friday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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