codefendant
noun
co·de·fen·dant
ˌkō-di-ˈfen-dənt 
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)
State v. Saenz, 370 P.3d 1278 (2016)Examples of codefendant in a Sentence
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The jury is set to resume deliberations Monday at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain in Chicago.
—Jim Talamonti | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2025
Also in a plea agreement with the district attorney’s office, codefendant Kaylen Atkins on March 21 pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
Vazquez-Ferrer and several codefendants were arrested on Nov. 29, 2023.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
Smith and his codefendants reached a settlement in 2020, requiring them to pay $900,000.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for codefendant
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Jim Talamonti | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2025
Also in a plea agreement with the district attorney’s office, codefendant Kaylen Atkins on March 21 pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
Vazquez-Ferrer and several codefendants were arrested on Nov. 29, 2023.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
Smith and his codefendants reached a settlement in 2020, requiring them to pay $900,000.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for codefendant
Cite this Entry
“Codefendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codefendant. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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