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.
"When the neighbor filed a lawsuit over the damaged fence, our insurance company immediately contacted the defendant to arrange payment for the repairs."
In plain English: A defendant is the person accused of breaking the law and being tried in court.
"The defendant stood silently in the courtroom while the lawyer presented his case."
Usage: A defendant is the person or entity being sued in a lawsuit, whether in a criminal trial where they face charges or in a civil case where they are responding to a complaint. You use this term specifically to identify the party on the receiving end of legal action rather than the one bringing it.
Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive, defending.
"The old oak tree provided a defendant shelter from the afternoon rain."
"The defendant witness testified against his former partner in court."
Usage: Do not use "defendant" as an adjective because it is exclusively a noun referring to the person charged with a crime in a lawsuit. Instead of describing something as defensive, use the adjective "defensive" or "protective."
The word defendant comes from the Old French verb defendre, which means "to defend." It originally referred to someone who was defending themselves in a legal suit.