co-defendants

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   People who are accused or sued together in the same court case.

   Grammar: Plural of co-defendant; usually with a possessive or with: his co-defendants.

   Patterns

   • a co-defendant of someone
   • tried with co-defendants

   The judge told the co-defendants to stand when the jury returned.

   Two co-defendants agreed to testify against the leader.

   He and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty.

Word forms

Common combinations

his co-defendants

His co-defendants were tried the following month.

named as co-defendants

Both firms were named as co-defendants.

sentence the co-defendants

The court sentenced the co-defendants to five years.

separate trials for co-defendants

The lawyers asked for separate trials for co-defendants.

Synonyms and how they differ

accomplices

Accomplices assumes they helped commit a crime, while co-defendants are just those charged together, guilty or not.

co-accused

Co-accused is the British and criminal term, whereas co-defendants also covers civil lawsuits.

fellow defendants

Fellow defendants is looser and less formal than the legal term.

Opposites

Word family

defendant noun

person accused or sued in court

defend verb

to argue in support of

co-defendant noun

one of the people tried together

defense noun

the side presenting the accused's case

Commonly confused: co-defendants or co-conspirators?

Practice

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