A person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law; the person being sued or accused.

synonym: suspect.

Roget 969: lawsuit, suit, action, cause; litigation; suit in law; dispute etc. 713.    citation, arraignment, prosecution, impeachment; accusation etc. 938; presentment, true bill, indictment.    apprehension, arrest; committal; imprisonment etc. (restraint) 751.    writ, summons, subpoena, latitat^†, nisi prius [Lat.]; venire, venire facias pleadings [Lat.]; declaration, bill, claim; proces verbal [Fr.]; bill of right, information, corpus delicti; affidavit, state of facts; answer, reply, replication, plea, demurrer, rebutter, rejoinder; surrebutter^†, surrejoinder^†.    suitor, party to a suit; plaintiff, defendant, litigant etc. 938.    hearing, trial; verdict etc. (judgment) 480; appeal, appeal motion; writ of error; certiorari [Lat.].    case; decision, precedent; decided case, reports (legal reference works, see reference books).. ... show more

Roget 937: vindication, justification, warrant; exoneration, exculpation; acquittal etc. 970; whitewashing.    extenuation; palliation, palliative; softening, mitigation.    reply, defense; recrimination etc. 938.    apology, gloss, varnish; plea etc. 617; salvo; excuse, extenuating circumstances; allowance, allowance to be made; locus paenitentiae [Lat.].    apologist, vindicator, justifier; defendant etc. 938.    justifiable charge, true bill.    v.. justify, warrant; be an excuse for etc. n.; lend a color, furnish a handle; vindicate; exculpate, disculpate^†; acquit etc. 970; clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash; clear the skirts of.    extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze; put a gloss, put a good face upon; mince; gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile.    advocate, defend, plead one's cause; stand up for, stick up for, speak up for; contend for, speak for; bear out, keep in countenance, support; plead &c., 617; say in defense; plead ignorance; confess and avoid, propugn^†, put in a good word for.    take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to; give one his due, give the Devil his due.    make good; prove the truth of, prove one's case; be justified by the event.    ... show more

Roget 938: accusation, charge, imputation, slur, inculpation, exprobration^†, delation; crimination; incrimination, accrimination^†, recrimination; tu quoque argument [Lat.]; invective etc. 932.    denunciation, denouncement; libel, challenge, citation, arraignment; impeachment, appeachment^†; indictment, bill of indictment, true bill; lawsuit etc. 969; condemnation etc. 971.    gravamen of a charge, head and front of one's offending, argumentum ad hominem [Lat.]; scandal etc. (detraction) 934; scandalum magnatum [Lat.].    accuser, prosecutor, plaintiff; relator, informer; appellant.    accused, defendant, prisoner, perpetrator, panel, respondent; litigant.    ... show more

Dutch: verweerder, aangeklaagde, beklaagde, beschuldigde, gedaagde, gerekwireerde, verdachte