Meaning & use
co-defendant
Last updated
UK/ˌkəʊ dɪˈfendənt/
US/ˌkoʊ dɪˈfendənt/
Meaning
nouncountablelegal
A person who is accused or sued in the same legal case as another defendant.
Grammar: Usually followed by of or in: a co-defendant in the trial.
Patterns
- a co-defendant in something
- co-defendant of someone
His co-defendant agreed to testify against him.
The judge tried the two co-defendants together.
She and her co-defendant pleaded not guilty.
Word forms
| plural | co-defendants |
|---|
Common combinations
- co-defendant in a case
- He was a co-defendant in the fraud case.
- testify against a co-defendant
- She agreed to testify against a co-defendant.
- co-defendant's lawyer
- The co-defendant's lawyer cross-examined the witness.
- separate trial for a co-defendant
- The co-defendant asked for a separate trial.
- fellow co-defendant
- A fellow co-defendant was released on bail.
Synonyms and how they differ
- accomplice
- An accomplice helps commit a crime, whereas a co-defendant is just someone charged alongside you.
- codefendant
- Codefendant is a spelling variant with the same meaning.
- fellow defendant
- Fellow defendant is a more ordinary phrase and sounds less technical.
Word family
Commonly confused: co-defendant or accomplice?
co-defendant vs accomplice
An accomplice must have helped in the crime, but a co-defendant only needs to be charged.
Practice
In a joint trial, the other person charged alongside you is your ___.
Choose one answer.
Co-defendant means another accused person in the same case. A plaintiff is the one who sues.
Make it your own
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