defendant Definition
de·fend·ant (dē fen′dənt, di-; --dant′)
adjective
defending
Etymology: ME defendaunt < OFr defendant, prp. of defendre
noun
Law the defending party; person sued or accused
defendant Synonyms
defendant
n.
Antonyms
defendant Law Definition
n
In a criminal trial, the
accused; in a civil proceeding, the person or entity against whom a claim is
made.
defendant Usage Examples
Converse of object
- acquit: An acquitted defendant will not be required to pay toward his defense.
- convict: The court will have power to order convicted defendants to repay some or all of the cost of their defense.
- prosecute: The current long-run proportion is about 90 % ; The long run rate showing defendants successfully prosecuted.
- remand: ANNEX B BAIL A court can remand a defendant in custody or grant bail, with or without conditions attached.
- domicile: In her case there was no potential defendant domiciled in England.
- sue: She had sued defendants responsible for all his exposure.
Converse of subject
owe: That is the LSC would pay the costs incurred under the representation order less the amount paid or owed by the defendant.
Adjective modifier
- unsuccessful: Only that amount was recoverable from an unsuccessful defendant.
- fourth: The Third and Fourth Defendants were the insurers of the cargo ( " the insurers " ), both of which were Toronto-based companies.
- remaining: The remaining defendants received similar fines and prison sentences of between one and four years.
- second: The second defendant subsequently assigned that tenancy to the wife.
Modifies a noun
- insurer: Also, it would normally be the defendant insurer, rather than the claimant, who would purchase the annuity.
- solicitor: In this case the defendant solicitors had advised in connection with the sale of a piece of land in 1989.
Possessives
- solicitor: Our client was made an offer which the defendant's solicitor refused to increase.
- insurer: The defendant's insurer 's loss assessors accepted the offer.
- conviction: An article detailing a defendant's previous convictions or acquittals could have this effect.
- conduct: The defendants ' subsequent conduct, however, meant that compensation was no longer payable.
- appeal: The House of Lords allowed the defendants ' appeal.
Preposition: in
Browse dictionary entries near defendant
- ‹ defend
- ‹ defence
- ‹ defeminize
- ‹ defective
- ‹ defection
- ‹ defect
- ‹ defecation
- ‹ defecate
- ‹ defeature
- ‹ defeatist

