defendant

Meanings

Adjective

• Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive, defending.

Noun

• In civil proceedings, the party responding to the complaint; one who is sued and called upon to make satisfaction for a wrong complained of by another.
• In criminal proceedings, the accused.

Related

Opposite words

• plaintiff, claimant
• prosecutor

Broader meaning words

• litigant

Origin

• From Middle English defendaunt, borrowed from Old French defendant, present participle of defendre, from Latin dēfendō.
• From Middle English defendaunt, borrowed from Old French defendant, nominalisation of defendant; see above.