defendant

[ dih-fen-duhnt or, especially in court for 1, -dant ]
See synonyms for defendant on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Law. a person, company, etc., against whom a claim or charge is brought in a court (opposed to plaintiff).

  2. Obsolete. defender.

adjective
  1. making one's defense; defending: a defendant corporation.

  2. Obsolete. defensive.

Origin of defendant

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English defendaunt, from Anglo-French (Middle French, Old French defendant ). See defend, -ant

Other words from defendant

  • non·de·fend·ant, noun
  • un·de·fend·ant, adjective

Words Nearby defendant

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How to use defendant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for defendant

defendant

/ (dɪˈfɛndənt) /


noun
  1. a person against whom an action or claim is brought in a court of law: Compare plaintiff

adjective
  1. making a defence; defending

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for defendant

defendant

The party that is being sued in court. (Compare plaintiff.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.