defendant:

(plural: ‘defendants‘; The opposite word in meaning of ‘defendant’ is “plaintiff or claimant“.)
a person who is accused of or charged with a wrong or illegal/criminal doing, such as cheating,  stealing or murdering, in a court of law, and who argues/fights legally that he/she has not done anything wrong (pleading innocence),

a male defendant before a judge

e.g.

A defendant must appear in the court of law whenever he/she is summoned by the judge.

The law says that a defendant has rights of his/her own, and one of them being remaining silent when questioned!

In most cases, a defendant can challenge a lower court verdict in a higher court, but there are some very critical cases where a lower court rules that the judgement cannot be appealed because of the nature of the case and the clarity and strength of the evidence.

In most cases, defendants get lenient punishment if they cooperate with the court proceedings and admit the wrong doings.

a female defendant being escorted to a court of law

 

For an informative article on what a defendant is, please click here, for an informative article on what a Defendant’s Medical Exam is, please click here, for an article on the rights of a defendant, please click here, and for an item of news that has this word in it, please click here.

Return to “plaintiff“.   Return to “corespondent“.   Return to “claimant“.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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