Word family noun defence/defense defendant defender defensiveness adjective defenceless/defenseless defensible ≠ indefensible defensive verb defend adverb defensibly ≠ indefensibly defensively
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdefendantde‧fen‧dant /dɪˈfendənt/ noun [countable] SCTthe person in a court of law who has been accused of doing something illegal → plaintiff SYN prisoner American English We find the defendant not guilty.Examples from the Corpus
defendant• The legal system flounders in its own morass of indefensible defendants, incoherent witnesses, and injudicious jurists.• There are six defendants altogether, including the third defendant, and separate claims are made against three groups of defendants.• She appealed against the defendants being given bail for fear they would interfere with witnesses who could help police inquiries.• During the trial, several prosecution witnesses reportedly retracted incriminating statements they had earlier made against the defendants.• But here there was no mistake on the part of the defendant either of law or fact.• The police officer said the defendant had resisted arrest.• According to the defendant, the heroin was destined for the New York City area.• He has this right in relation to goods which the defendant owns at the time the sheriff receives the writ.• The defendant pleaded not guilty.• Each of the three defendants was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.• There were defendants and their lawyers, defendants and their pals, defendants and their families.• The possibility that Clinton might grant pardons for convicted Whitewater defendants is a non-issue.From Longman Business Dictionarydefendantde‧fen‧dant /dɪˈfendənt/ noun [countable]LAW the person or organization in a court of law that has been ACCUSED of doing something illegalThe defendant was convicted and sentenced to 7 years in state prison. 