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What is the difference between accused and defendant?

accused | defendant |

In lang=en terms the difference between accused and defendant

is that accused is the person charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case while defendant is in criminal proceedings, the accused.

As a verb accused

is past tense of accuse.

accused

English

Verb

(head)
  • (accuse)

    • Noun

    (accused)
  • (legal) The person charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case.

    • Usage notes

    * (noun) Preceded by the word the .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having been accused; being the target of accusations.
  • * 1883 , Charlotte Mary Yonge, Landmarks of Recent History, 1770-1883 , Walter Smith (publisher), pages 11–12:
    • This power chiefly fell to the queen, and she was more accused than ever of too much leaning towards her own country;
  • * 1891 , Charles Grant Robertson, Caesar Borgia: The Stanhope Essay for 1891 , B.H. Blackwell, pages 8–9:
    • Naples had an almost stronger preference for the interposition of Spain, while the great republic of Venice in the eyes of Italy stood accused of aspiring to bring the whole peninsula under its sway,
  • * 2007 , Patricia Love and Steven Stosny, How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking about It: Finding Love Beyond Words , Random House, ISBN 9780767923170, page 188:
    • If she felt unimportant, you showed her that she was important to you. If she felt accused , you reassured her. If she felt guilty, you helped her feel better.

    Anagrams

    *

    defendant

    English

    (wikipedia defendant)

    Alternative forms

    * defendaunt (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (legal) 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.
  • (legal) In criminal proceedings, the accused.

    • Antonyms

    * (in civil proceedings) plaintiff * (in criminal proceedings) prosecutor

    Hypernyms

    * litigant

    Related terms

    * respondent

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive.
  • * Shakespeare
    • With men of courage and with means defendant .
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