DEFENDANT Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

defendant

noun

Definition of defendant

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of defendant Drake’s label, Universal Music Group, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, the disruption affected the video system used for remote court hearings across England and Wales, potentially delaying proceedings involving defendants appearing remotely. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 The Hill also reports that there is no law requiring debt collectors to ask judges for arrest warrants for defendants who fail to appear in court. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit, filed in California in May, names von Detten, 44, and his employer, precious metals company Rosland Capital, as defendants. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defendant

Noun

His lacerating wit spares no member of his staff—a mix of true incompetents, off-putting savants, ticking time bombs, and onetime offenders prematurely consigned to professional purgatory.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Penalties increase if offenders cover their faces or someone is injured.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of offender

Noun

This can help prevent criminals from opening new credit accounts using your information.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Child welfare agents said abuse may have occurred, but the perpetrator was unknown, according to records reviewed by The Washington Post.

— Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Throughout Israel’s history, even in the rare cases of conviction of a soldier or a policeman for killing Palestinians, the maximum time a perpetrator spent in prison was three years and four months.

— Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of perpetrator

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defendable

defendant

defendants

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“Defendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defendant. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defendant

noun

Example Sentences

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