the person in a trial who is accused of committing a crime, or who is being sued by another person Wordfindertrialaccuse, appeal, counsel, defendant, evidence, justice, offence, plea, prosecution, trial CollocationsCriminal justiceBreaking the law break/violate/obey/uphold the law be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud be arrested/ (especially North American English) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony charges be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraud face two charges of indecent assault admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something) deny the allegations/claims/charges confess to a crime grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bailThe legal process stand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trial take somebody to/come to/settle something out of court face/avoid/escape prosecution seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury sit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dock plead guilty/not guilty to a crime be called to/enter (British English) the witness box take/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness stand call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebody raise/withdraw/overrule an objection reach a unanimous/majority verdict return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death convict/acquit the defendant of the crime secure a conviction/your acquittal lodge/file an appeal appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdictSentencing and punishment pass sentence on somebody carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence receive/be given the death penalty be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail) carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment) be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder do/serve time/ten years be sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prison be/put somebody/spend X years on death row be granted/be denied/break (your) parole crime compare accused, plaintiff Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecriminal, convicted, guilty, … verb + defendantaccuse, charge, prosecute, … defendant + verbplead guilt, plead not guilty prepositionagainst the defendant, for the defendant, defendant in, … Word OriginMiddle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘defending’): from Old French, ‘warding off’, present participle of defendre, from Latin defendere, from de- ‘off’ + -fendere ‘to strike’.Extra examples Several witnesses gave evidence for the defendant. The defendant was charged with disturbing the peace. The defendant was convicted of murder. The defendant was sentenced to three years in prison. The jury found the defendant guilty on all counts. a defendant being sued by an insurance company a defendant in bankruptcy proceedings the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant
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