codefendant

noun

co·​de·​fen·​dant ˌkō-di-ˈfen-dənt How to pronounce codefendant (audio)
 in legal circles often  -ˌdant
variants or co-defendant
plural codefendants or co-defendants
: a defendant in the same lawsuit or criminal prosecution as another defendant or group of defendants : a joint defendant
… the defendant argued that it was plain error for the trial court to have permitted the prosecution to treat his co-defendant as hostile …State v. Saenz, 370 P.3d 1278 (2016)

Examples of codefendant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Eastman was among the codefendants charged in the Fulton County district attorney's racketeering case, and California State Bar Court Judge Yvette Roland recommended in March that Eastman be disbarred. Sonam Sheth, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 According to Rolling Stone, two additional codefendants, Rodalius Ryan, 20, and Marquavius Huey, 28, each pleaded guilty under separate agreements that required no signed statement of facts and no agreement to testify against others on Wednesday (Oct. 30). Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 31 Oct. 2024 None of the three individuals who entered guilty pleas will be required to testify against the remaining codefendants, including the main target of the case, Young Thug. Nick Valencia, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 Three codefendants in the YSL racketeering trial have accepted plea agreements this week from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Nick Valencia, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for codefendant 

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of codefendant was in 1641

Dictionary Entries Near codefendant

Cite this Entry

“Codefendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codefendant. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

codefendant

noun
co·​de·​fen·​dant
ˌkō-di-ˈfen-dənt, -ˌdant
: a joint defendant

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