The news article painted the defendant as a guilty man, even though he had been proven innocent.
Source: tatoeba (2019)
Defendant
/dɪˈfɛnd.ənt/
Synonyms for "defendant" (49 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (24)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: accessory, accused, accused, adverser, bitter-ender.
- Sentence evidence is available for defendant, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "defendant".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "defendant"
Keep "defendant" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "defendant" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "defendant", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "defendant" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesMore specific
4 entriesadult defendantcorporate defendantindividual defendantjuvenile defendant
Collocations
6 entriescivil defendantcorporate defendantcriminal defendantdefendant in courtdefendant rightsindividual defendant
Inflections
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
127 translations across 46 languages.
Ancient Greek
2 entries- κατηγορουμένη noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- κατηγορούμενος noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Arabic
3 entries- مُتَّهَم noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- مُتَّهَمَة noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- مُدَّعًى عَلَيْهِ noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Armenian
2 entries- ամբաստանյալ noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- պատասխանող noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Belarusian
4 entries- абвінава́чаная noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- абвінава́чаны noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- абвінава́чваная noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- абвінава́чваны noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Bengali
1 entries- মুদ্দালেহ noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Bulgarian
4 entries- обвиня́ем noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- обвиня́ема noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- отве́тник noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- отве́тница noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 被告 noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Czech
4 entries- obviněná noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- obviněný noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- obžalovaná noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- obžalovaný noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Danish
1 entries- indstævnte noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Dutch
2 entries- verdachte noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- verweerder noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Esperanto
2 entries- akuzitino noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- akuzito noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Estonian
1 entries- kaebealune noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Finnish
1 entries- vastaaja noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
French
4 entries- défenderesse noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- défendeur noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- inculpé noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- inculpée noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Georgian
1 entries- მოპასუხე noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
German
4 entries- Angeklagte noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- Angeklagter noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- Angeschuldigte noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- Angeschuldigter noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Greek
4 entries- εναγομένη noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- εναγόμενος noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- κατηγορουμένη noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- κατηγορούμενος noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Hebrew
2 entries- נאשם \ נֶאֱשָׁם noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- נאשמת \ נֶאֱשֶׁמֶת noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Hindi
1 entries- प्रतिवादी noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Hungarian
2 entries- terhelt noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- vádlott noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Indonesian
1 entries- tergugat noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Interlingua
1 entries- accusato noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Irish
1 entries- cosantóir noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Italian
4 entries- accusata noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- accusato noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- imputata noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- imputato noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Japanese
1 entries- 被告 noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Khmer
1 entries- ចុងចោទ noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Korean
2 entries- 피고 noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- 피고인 noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Latin
1 entries- reus noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Macedonian
4 entries- обвинет noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- обвинета noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- оптуженик noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- оптуженичка noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Malayalam
1 entries- പ്രതി noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Māori
2 entries- kaikaro noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- whakatuaki noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- anklagede noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Persian
1 entries- خوانده noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Polish
4 entries- oskarżona noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- oskarżony noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- pozwana noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- pozwany noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Portuguese
4 entries- acusada noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- acusado noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- ré noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- réu noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Russian
4 entries- обвиня́емая noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- обвиня́емый noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- отве́тчик noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- отве́тчица noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- brȃnjenica noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- brȃnjenīk noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- optužènica noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- optužènīk noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Slovak
4 entries- obžalovaná noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- obžalovaný noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- žalovaná noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- žalovaný noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Slovene
2 entries- obtožena noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- obtoženi noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Spanish
2 entries- acusada noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- acusado noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Swedish
1 entries- anklagad noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Thai
1 entries- จำเลย noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Turkish
1 entries- sanık noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Ukrainian
4 entries- відповіда́ч noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- відповіда́чка noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- звинува́чена noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
- звинува́чений noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Urdu
1 entries- مدعا علیہ noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Vietnamese
1 entries- bị cáo noun (person prosecuted or sued, the accused)
Sample sentences
13 total sentences available.
The prosecution condemned the defendant for kidnapping a child.
Source: tatoeba (239087)
The presiding judge sentenced the defendant to death.
Source: tatoeba (244241)
The decision was in favor of the defendant.
Source: tatoeba (282735)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "defendant"?
Closest matches include accessory, accused, accused, adverser, bitter-ender.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "defendant"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.