1. a person or entity accused in a court of law
在法庭上被指控的人或實體
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.
被告對所有指控均表示不認罪。
The defendant has the right to remain silent.
被告有權保持沉默。
The jury found the defendant innocent.
陪審團裁定被告無罪。
Defendant Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
defendant
noun
快速理解
What does "Defendant" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Defendant"?
在法律訴訟中，被指控或起訴的一方。
- 1
民事被告
EN: the person or entity being sued in a civil case
翻譯: 在民事訴訟中被控告的個人或實體。
- 2
刑事被告
EN: the person accused of a crime in a criminal case
翻譯: 在刑事訴訟中被指控犯罪的個人。
- 3
訴訟相對方
EN: the party against whom a legal action is brought
翻譯: 法律訴訟中被提告的相對方。
小提醒：注意：'defendant'（被告）與 'plaintiff'（原告）相對。在刑事案件中，代表政府提起訴訟的一方通常是 'prosecution'（檢方）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Defendant" in English）
How to pronounce "Defendant" in English?"Defendant" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Defendant" from YouTube Videos
Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll
TED
“One of the major problems with patent law is that, in the case that when you are sued by a patent troll, the burden of proof that you did not infringe on the patent is actually on the defendant, which means you have to prove that you do not infringe on the patent they're suing you on, And this can take quite a while.”
(1 out of 1)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Defendant"?How does "Defendant" change by context?
2. the party against whom a civil lawsuit is brought
在民事訴訟中被起訴的一方
The defendant in the breach of contract case was ordered to pay damages.
在這宗違約案件中，被告被勒令支付損害賠償金。
The defendant's lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the case.
被告的律師提出了駁回此案的動議。
3. a person or organization required to answer a legal complaint
需要對法律申訴作出回應的人或組織
The corporate defendant issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.
這家作為被告的公司發表聲明，否認有任何不當行為。
Multiple defendants were named in the class-action lawsuit.
在這起集體訴訟中，有多名被告被點名。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Defendant"?How to make natural sentences with "Defendant"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| defendant + verb (pleads, argues, testifies) | 被告 + 動詞（辯稱、主張、作證） | The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges. (被告對所有指控均表示不認罪。) |
| the + defendant | 該被告 | The defendant was released on bail. (該被告已獲准保釋。) |
| a + defendant + in + a case | 某案件中的被告 | She is a defendant in a high-profile civil lawsuit. (她是一宗備受矚目的民事訴訟中的被告。) |
| defendant's + noun (lawyer, rights, testimony) | 被告的 + 名詞（律師、權利、證詞） | The defendant's lawyer requested a mistrial. (被告的律師請求無效審判。) |
| find + the defendant + adjective (guilty, innocent) | 判定被告 + 形容詞（有罪、無罪） | The jury found the defendant not guilty. (陪審團判定被告無罪。) |
用法說明
How is "Defendant" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Defendant"?
defendant 與 accused 的區別
- defendant 是法律程序中的正式術語，特指在民事或刑事訴訟中被起訴、並在法庭上進行答辯的一方。
- accused 通常指在刑事訴訟中被指控犯罪的人，強調「被指控」的狀態，在正式審判前或非正式語境中使用。
- 在刑事案件中，一個人被起訴後，在法庭文件中通常被稱為 the defendant。在審判前的新聞報導或日常對話中，則常被稱為 the accused。 EN: The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges. 翻譯: 被告對所有指控均表示不認罪。
EN:The accused was arrested last night but has not been formally charged yet.
翻譯:嫌疑人昨晚被捕，但尚未被正式起訴。
總結建議
在正式法律文書和法庭程序中應使用 defendant，而在泛指被指控者或非正式語境中可使用 accused。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Defendant" and similar words?How to choose "Defendant" vs alternatives?
defendant vs accused
「defendant」專指民事或刑事訴訟中的「被告」，是正式法律用語。而「accused」通常特指刑事訴訟中被指控犯罪的人，有時在非正式語境中也可泛指被指控者。
defendant vs plaintiff
在訴訟中，「defendant」（被告）是回應指控或起訴的一方；而「plaintiff」（原告）則是發起民事訴訟、提出控告的一方。兩者是訴訟中的對立雙方。
defendant vs suspect
「defendant」是已經被正式起訴並進入司法程序的「被告」。而「suspect」是偵查階段有犯罪嫌疑但尚未被正式起訴的「嫌疑犯」。
口語用法
How is "Defendant" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Defendant"?
引述
在對話中，當引述或轉述他人的指控或法律情境時，常用此字。 EN: So then his lawyer said, "The defendant has an alibi for that night." 翻譯: 然後他的律師就說：「被告那天晚上有不在場證明。」
EN:I heard the prosecutor kept calling the defendant "remorseless" in court.
翻譯:我聽說檢察官在法庭上一直稱被告「毫無悔意」。
語氣強調
為了強調所指的對象是「被控告的一方」，而非一般人物，會特別加重語氣或稍作停頓。 EN: We're talking about the defendant here, not some witness. 翻譯: 我們現在談的是被告，不是什麼證人。
EN:The one who actually needs help is the defendant, not the accuser.
翻譯:真正需要幫助的是被告，不是控告方。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或解釋法律流程時，可能將此字作為短暫停頓後的填充詞，帶出主要論點。 EN: The whole case hinges on... the defendant's state of mind at the time. 翻譯: 整個案件的關鍵在於…被告當時的心理狀態。
EN:What the jury needs to decide is... whether the defendant knew it was wrong.
翻譯:陪審團需要裁定的是…被告是否知道那是錯的。
正式書寫注意：在正式法律文件或學術寫作中，應避免將「defendant」用於口語化的引述或填充停頓結構，需保持客觀、精確的敘述，通常直接使用該詞指稱，而不附加口語語氣。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Defendant"?What fixed phrases with "Defendant" should I remember?
defendant
defendant
被告
the accused defendant
the accused defendant
被指控的被告
civil defendant
civil defendant
民事被告
criminal defendant
criminal defendant
刑事被告
co-defendant
co-defendant
共同被告
represent a defendant
represent a defendant
為被告辯護
defendant's rights
defendant's rights
被告的權利
defendant testifies
defendant testifies
被告作證
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Defendant"?Which "Defendant" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The defendant is the person who sues.
✓The defendant is the person who is being sued or accused.
混淆了原告與被告。在民事訴訟中，原告 (plaintiff) 是提起訴訟的一方，而被告 (defendant) 是被起訴的一方。在刑事案件中，則是檢方 (prosecution) 起訴被告 (defendant)。
×He is a defendant of the company.
✓He is a defendant in the lawsuit against the company. / The company is the defendant.
誤用介系詞 'of' 來表示所屬關係。'Defendant' 指的是訴訟中的一方，通常使用 'in' 來連接具體案件 (defendant in the case)，或用 'against' 表示被誰起訴 (defendant against the plaintiff)。公司本身可以是被告 (The company is the defendant)。
×The defender's lawyer spoke well.
✓The defendant's lawyer spoke well.
混淆了 'defendant' (被告) 與 'defender' (防衛者、辯護者)。在法庭情境中，為被告辯護的律師是 'the defendant's lawyer' 或 'defense attorney'。'Defender' 通常指在體育比賽或廣義上保護某事物的人。
×The suspect was the defendant in the police station.
✓The suspect became the defendant after being formally charged in court.
混淆了不同法律程序階段的稱呼。在正式被起訴 (charged) 前，被警方調查的人通常稱為 'suspect' (嫌疑犯)。一旦案件進入司法程序，被正式控告的人則稱為 'defendant' (被告)。'Defendant' 是法庭用語。
×The judge asked the defendant if he confesses.
✓The judge asked the defendant if he pleads guilty.
使用了非正式或非標準的法律用語。在法庭上，法官詢問被告對指控的回應時，標準用詞是 'plead guilty' (認罪) 或 'plead not guilty' (不認罪)。'Confess' 雖然有承認的意思，但在此正式法律程序中較不常用作動詞指令。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Defendant"?What are tense/participle forms of "Defendant"?