defendant
defendant — noun
1. the person, company, or organization that a criminal charge or civil lawsuit is
the person, company, or organization that a criminal charge or civil lawsuit is formally brought against before a judge, and who must respond to the accusation or claim.
Antonia stood nervously in court as the defendant, facing charges of business fraud.
criminal context: facing charges of fraud
The defendant's testimony about the night of the incident did not match the security footage.
When the judge asked the defendant, Mathieu, to stand, the entire room fell silent.
Small companies that become the defendant in a patent case often struggle with legal costs.
The court ordered the defendant hospital chain to pay damages to the injured patient.
It is the defendant's right to remain silent and to have a lawyer during questioning.
- accused
used primarily in criminal cases, often before or during trial; less common in civil lawsuits
- respondent
used in some civil proceedings, particularly appeals, family law, and administrative tribunals
- appellee
the party against whom an appeal is brought; narrower and limited to appellate courts
- plaintiff
the party who initiates a civil lawsuit against the defendant
- claimant
the party making a civil claim in some legal systems; equivalent to plaintiff
- prosecution
the state or government body that brings criminal charges against the defendant
文法句型
defendant + in + [type of case]
the defendant + verb (testify, plead, appeal)
用法筆記
Distinct from 'the accused', which in some legal systems refers only to a person formally charged with a crime, whereas 'defendant' covers the entire legal process and also applies to civil cases. The party who brings a civil case is the 'plaintiff' (or 'claimant' in some jurisdictions); in a criminal case, the government brings the charge as the 'prosecution'.
常見錯誤
defendant — adjective
1. of or relating to the position of a person or side that must defend itself again
of or relating to the position of a person or side that must defend itself against legal claims or accusations made by another party in court.
The defendant company argued that the product had passed all safety tests before launch.
attributive: 'defendant company'
Both defendant parties in the merger dispute asked the judge for more preparation time.
attributive plural: 'defendant parties'
The lawyer took a defendant stance, waiting to see the plaintiff's evidence before responding.
The defendant corporation filed a formal denial of all claims made against it.
The university adopted a defendant posture, claiming it had followed proper hiring rules.
文法句型
defendant + noun (defendant company, defendant party, defendant stance)
用法筆記
This attributive adjective use is almost entirely restricted to formal legal writing, particularly in American English. It is far less common than the noun form; alternatives such as 'the company acting as defendant' or 'the defending party' are often preferred.