defendant









defendant


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

  1. making one’s defense; defending: a defendant corporation.
  2. Obsolete. defensive.

noun

  1. a person against whom an action or claim is brought in a court of lawCompare plaintiff

adjective

  1. making a defence; defending
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).

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

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