1275-1325;Middle Englishdefendaunt < Anglo-French (Middle French,Old Frenchdefendant). See defend, -ant
Related forms
nondefendant, noun
undefendant, adjective
Examples from the web for defendant
In any case, my question is about whether or not I should collect restitution from the defendant.
The most contentious part of the bill is the proposal to allow juries to be told of a defendant's criminal record.
Toss in a poignant midlife romance and an innocent, put-upon defendant, and you have a novel with wide appeal.
If the defendant elects to waive his constitutional rights, the burden of establishing that waiver is on the prosecution.
The defendant had spent weeks in jail pre-trail.
The defendant grounded his argument on statutes that he claimed gave him the last challenge.
If a judge had such arbitrary power, every defendant in the universe would be assumed to be guilty before the fact.
There is no evidence; you have no case; and the defendant is innocent until you have proved her guilty, remember.
The defendant in a criminal case is not obligated to testify.
The trial for a fifth defendant has not been scheduled.
British Dictionary definitions for defendant
defendant
/dɪˈfɛndənt/
noun
1.
a person against whom an action or claim is brought in a court of law Compare plaintiff
adjective
2.
making a defence; defending
Word Origin and History for defendant
n.
c.1400, in the legal sense, from French défendant, present participle of défendre (see defend). Earliest use in English was as a present participle adjective meaning "defending" (c.1300).
defendant in Culture
defendant definition
The party that is being sued in court. (Compareplaintiff.)