defendant
/dɪˈfendənt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfendənt/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈfen-dənt in legal circles often -ˌdant/ (ame, mw)
defendant — 名詞
- defendantsingular
- defendantsplural
1. the person, company, or organization that a criminal charge or civil lawsuit is
被告
刑事或民事訴訟中被指控的一方
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.
Antonia 緊張地站在法庭上作為被告，面臨商業詐欺的指控。
criminal context: facing charges of fraud
The defendant's testimony about the night of the incident did not match the security footage.
被告關於事發當晚的證詞與監視器畫面不符。
When the judge asked the defendant, Mathieu, to stand, the entire room fell silent.
當法官要求被告 Mathieu 起立時，整個法庭陷入一片寂靜。
Small companies that become the defendant in a patent case often struggle with legal costs.
在專利訴訟中成為被告的小型公司，往往難以負擔法律費用。
The court ordered the defendant hospital chain to pay damages to the injured patient.
法院判令被告醫院連鎖機構賠償受傷的病人。
It is the defendant's right to remain silent and to have a lawyer during questioning.
被告有權保持緘默，並在訊問過程中有律師在場。
- 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 — 形容詞
- defendantpositive
- more defendantcomparative
- most defendantsuperlative
1. of or relating to the position of a person or side that must defend itself again
防禦的
處於法律防禦立場的
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.
被告公司主張該產品在上市前已通過所有安全測試。
attributive: 'defendant company'
Both defendant parties in the merger dispute asked the judge for more preparation time.
合併糾紛中的雙方被告當事人請求法官給予更多準備時間。
attributive plural: 'defendant parties'
The lawyer took a defendant stance, waiting to see the plaintiff's evidence before responding.
律師採取被告方立場，先觀察原告提出的證據再回應。
The defendant corporation filed a formal denial of all claims made against it.
被告公司正式否認所有對其提出的索賠。
The university adopted a defendant posture, claiming it had followed proper hiring rules.
該大學採取被告方姿態，主張其已遵循適當的聘任程序。
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.