defendant

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

defendant
    n 1: a person or institution against whom an action is brought
         in a court of law; the person being sued or accused [syn:
         {defendant}, {suspect}] [ant: {complainant}, {plaintiff}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Libellee \Li`bel*lee"\, n. (Law)
      (a) The party against whom a libel has been filed; --
          corresponding to {defendant} in a common law action.
      (b) The defendant in an action of libel.
          [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Defendant \De*fend"ant\, n.
   1. One who defends; a defender.
      [1913 Webster]

            The rampiers and ditches which the defendants had
            cast up.                              --Spotswood.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Law) A person required to make answer in an action or
      suit; -- opposed to plaintiff. --Abbott.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: The term is applied to any party of whom a demand is
         made in court, whether the party denies and defends the
         claim, or admits it, and suffers a default; also to a
         party charged with a criminal offense.
         [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Defendant \De*fend"ant\ (d[-e]*f[e^]nd"ant), a. [F.
   d['e]fendant, p. pr. of d['e]fendre. See {Defend}.]
   1. Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            With men of courage and with means defendant.
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Making defense.
      [1913 Webster]

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

DEFENDANT. A party who is sued in a personal action. Vide Demandant; Parties 
to Actions; Pursuer; and Com. Dig. Abatement, F; Action upon the case upon 
assumpsit, E, b; Bouv. Inst. Index, h.t. 
      2. At common law a defendant cannot have judgment to recover a sum of 
money of the plaintiff. But this rule is, in some cases, altered by the act 
of assembly in Pennsylvania, as by the. Act of 1705, for defalcation, by 
which he may sue out a sci. fac. on the record of a verdict for a sum found 
in his favor. 6 Binn. Rep. 175. See Account 6.

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

38 Moby Thesaurus words for "defendant":
      accessory, accused, bitter-ender, brawler, correspondent, diehard,
      disputant, dissentient, dissident, intransigent, irreconcilable,
      last-ditcher, libelee, litigant, litigationist, litigator,
      naysayer, negativist, noncooperator, objector, obstructionist,
      obstructive, opposer, oppositionist, panel, parties litigant,
      party, plaintiff, prisoner, protester, quarreler, resister,
      respondent, scrapper, suitor, suspect, witness, wrangler