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Synonyms

defendant

American  
[dih-fen-duhnt, -dant] / dɪˈfɛn dənt, -dænt /

noun

  1. Law. a person, company, etc., against whom a claim or charge is brought in a court (plaintiff ).

  2. Obsolete. defender.

adjective

  1. making one's defense; defending.

    a defendant corporation.

  2. Obsolete. defensive.

defendant British  
/ dɪˈfɛndənt /

noun

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

"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

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
defendant Cultural  

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

Other Word Forms

  • nondefendant noun
  • undefendant adjective

Etymology

Origin of defendant

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.