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Definition of defendant

defendant

/dɪˈfɛn.dənt/
de · fend · ant
Plural:defendants
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defendant Lexical Profile

defendant Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An individual, company, or institution sued in a civil action or accused of a crime in a court of law.

Example

"The judge instructed the jury to carefully consider all the evidence before reaching a verdict regarding the defendant."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for defendant

• Nearby Words

defector
defend
defendable
defendant
defender
defense
defenseless

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-French defendant, the noun use of the present participle of defendre ('to defend'), from Latin defendere ('to ward off, protect').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Defendant. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/defendant
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