9 results for: defendant

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fend·ant

Audio Help [di-fen-duh

nt or, esp. in court for 1, -dant] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	Law. a person, company, etc., against whom a claim or charge is brought in a court (opposed to plaintiff).

2.	Obsolete. defender.

–adjective

3.	making one's defense; defending: a defendant corporation.

4.	Obsolete. defensive.

[Origin: 1275–1325; ME defendaunt < AF (MF, OF defendant). See defend, -ant

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
defendant

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fen·dant Audio Help (dĭ-fěn'dənt, -dānt') Pronunciation Key
n. Law
The party against which an action is brought.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

defendant
noun
a person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law; the person being sued or accused [ant: complainant]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
deˈfendant noun

a person accused or sued in a law-court

Arabic:	مُدَّعى عَلَيْهِ ، مُتَّهَم
Chinese (Simplified):	被告
Chinese (Traditional):	被告
Czech:	obžalovaný
Danish:	tiltalte; sagsøgte
Dutch:	beklaagde
Estonian:	kostja
Finnish:	vastaaja
French:	accusé, ée, défendeur, deresse
German:	der Angeklagte
Greek:	κατηγορούμενος
Hungarian:	alperes
Icelandic:	verjandi
Indonesian:	terdakwa
Italian:	imputato

Japanese:	被告
Korean:	피고
Latvian:	apsūdzētais
Lithuanian:	kaltinamasis
Norwegian:	anklagede, saksøkte
Polish:	oskarżony, pozwany
Portuguese (Brazil):	réu
Portuguese (Portugal):	réu
Romanian:	acuzat, inculpat, pârât
Russian:	обвиняемый; ответчик
Slovak:	obžalovaný, -á
Slovenian:	obtoženec
Spanish:	demandado, acusado
Swedish:	svarande
Turkish:	sanık, davalı

See also: defender, defensive, defend

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
defendant

The party that is being sued in court. (Compare plaintiff.)

[Chapter:] American Politics

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: de·fen·dant
Pronunciation: di-'fen-d&nt, -"dant
Function: noun
: the party against whom a criminal or civil action is brought —see also ANSWER, CODEFENDANT —compare ACCUSED, PLAINTIFF

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defendant

De*fend"ant\, a. [F. d['e]fendant, p. pr. of d['e]fendre. See Defend.]

1. Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive. [Obs.]

With men of courage and with means defendant. --Shak.

2. Making defense.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defendant

De*fend"ant\, n. 1. One who defends; a defender.

The rampiers and ditches which the defendants had cast up. --Spotswood.

2. (Law) A person required to make answer in an action or suit; -- opposed to plaintiff. --Abbott.

Note: The term is applied to any party of whom a demand is made in court, whether the party denies and defends the claim, or admits it, and suffers a default; also to a party charged with a criminal offense.

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