defendant
UK[dɪˈfɛndənt]US[dɪˈfɛndənt]
n
A person or group accused of a crime in a court of law.
n
A person or group against whom a claim or charge is brought in a civil lawsuit.
Morpheme Breakdown
defend
ant
defend
to protect
ant
one who
Etymology
The word "defendant" originates from the Old French defendant, the present participle of defendre, meaning "to defend." This, in turn, derives from the Latin verb dēfendere, composed of dē- (off, away) and fendere (to strike). The literal sense was "to ward off by striking." In legal terminology, the present participle form evolved into a noun signifying "the party who defends against a charge." Thus, the modern "defendant" is logically the one who must ward off or answer to an accusation in a legal proceeding, maintaining the core concept of a defensive stance from its ancient roots.
Analysis
Structure: defend (to protect) + ant (one who)
defend (from Latin dēfendere, meaning to ward off, protect); ant (from Latin -ant-, present participial stem, used to form agent nouns meaning "one who").
Examples
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The lawyer advised her client, the defendant, to remain silent.
The jury found the defendant liable for damages in the civil case.