Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

defendant

 noun
     
NEW! See related topics: LAW
de‧fen‧dant W2 [countable]
SCL the person in a court of law who has been accused of doing something illegal [↪ plaintiff; = prisoner AmE]
We find the defendant not guilty.
WORD FOCUS: court WORD FOCUS: court
people in a court of law: judge, magistrate, jury, defence British English/defense American English, prosecution, defendant, witness, attorney, lawyer, barrister British English, solicitor British English, district attorney American English
what happens in a court case:At the beginning of the trial, the person who is accused pleads guilty or not guilty to the charges against them. The lawyers for the prosecution try to prove that the defendant is guilty, and the lawyers for the defence try to prove that their client is innocent. The judge and the jury examine the evidence and listen to the testimony of the witnesses. At the end of the trial, the judge then sums up the case, and the jury then gives their verdict. If the person is found guilty, the judge sentences them to a period of time in prison, or orders them to pay a fine. If the person is found not guilty, they are released.court

➔ See also court
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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