public defender

American

noun

a lawyer appointed or elected by a city or county as a full-time, official defender to represent indigents in criminal cases at public expense.

public defender British

noun

(in the US) a lawyer engaged at public expense to represent indigent defendants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

public defender Cultural

An attorney who is appointed and paid by a court to defend poor persons who cannot afford a lawyer.

Etymology

Origin of public defender

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pysher’s deputy federal public defender could not immediately be reached for comment.

From Los Angeles Times

The judge appointed an attorney from the public defender's office in his stead.

From Barron's

County public defender’s office after high-powered defense counsel Alan Jackson stepped down from the case Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

In January, his arraignment was postponed to Monday after his lawyer, famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, stepped down and was replaced by a public defender.

From Los Angeles Times

Neither the district attorney nor public defender’s office responded immediately to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023