defendant

defendant · adjective¹

1. Latin · derived fromdēfendere
2. Old French · derived fromdefendant
3. Middle English · inherited fromdefendaunt“defending; defending in a suit”
4. English todaydefendant

From Middle English defendaunt (“defending; defending in a suit”), borrowed from Old French defendant, present participle of defendre, from Latin dēfendere.

defendant · noun²

1. Old French · derived fromdefendant
2. Middle English · inherited fromdefendaunt“defendant in a suit; defender”
3. English todaydefendant

From Middle English defendaunt (“defendant in a suit; defender”), borrowed from Old French defendant, nominalisation of defendant; see above.

Words from the same roots