Defendant
noun /dɪˈfɛn.dənt/ — A person accused or sued in a legal proceeding.
Definition
In a criminal case, the person accused of a crime; in a civil case, the party against whom a claim is made. The defendant occupies the reactive position in law — they must respond to charges or claims brought by the plaintiff or prosecution.
Beyond the definition
To be a defendant is to be named — publicly, formally — as the person a legal process is against. That naming changes things, before any verdict is returned.
Origin & history
From Old French 'defendant' (defending); from 'defendre' (to defend); from Latin 'defendere' (to ward off). The one who must defend themselves.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The defendant sat quietly through four days of testimony, required by counsel to react to nothing.
In civil law, the defendant in one case often becomes the plaintiff in the next — the positions reverse with circumstances.
She had spent a career as a prosecutor; it was disorienting to find herself, briefly, in the chair of the defendant.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Defendant” when the meaning fits your context: In a criminal case, the person accused of a crime; in a civil case, the party against whom a claim is made. The defendant occupies the reactive position in law — they must respond to charges or claims brought by the plaintiff or prosecution.
Synonyms
accused, respondent, charged party
Antonyms
plaintiff, prosecutor, complainant
Related words
Defendant vs respondent
Defendant is the standard term for the party sued in civil or criminal cases. Respondent is often used in appellate courts or specific equity proceedings.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Adult Raising Hand In Disagreement
One of two adults in a heated disagreement leans back and raises an open hand, occupying a reactive and defensive position.
A defendant is the party responding to a charge or claim. The individual's reactive posture, leaning back from the argument, visualizes the position of having to respond to claims brought by another party.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Defendant" mean?
Defendant is noun meaning: A person accused or sued in a legal proceeding.. In a criminal case, the person accused of a crime; in a civil case, the party against whom a claim is made. The defendant occupies the reactive position in law — they must respond to charges or claims brought by the plaintiff or prosecution.
Where does the word "Defendant" come from?
From Old French 'defendant' (defending); from 'defendre' (to defend); from Latin 'defendere' (to ward off). The one who must defend themselves.