public defender

noun

: a lawyer usually holding public office whose duty is to defend accused persons unable to pay for legal assistance

Examples of public defender in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Agreeing with a public defender’s motion detailing the jail’s conditions and a technicality about an old offense that shouldn’t count towards McClure’s record, Cullen reduced the sentence from 57 to 71 months in prison to 48 months. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025 Davis was represented by the state public defender’s office, which does not comment on criminal cases. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025 That attorney, Noel Erinjeri, an assistant public defender in the county, had no comment after the arraignment. Christina Hall, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025 Aram James, a former public defender and co-chair of CJA, at the protest asked that the county increase the transparency surrounding the use of Tasers, including releasing the video footage and medical records of the Taser deployments. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for public defender

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of public defender was in 1822

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Public defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20defender. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

public defender

noun
: a lawyer usually holding public office who represents criminal defendants unable to pay for legal assistance

More from Merriam-Webster on public defender

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!