noun
criminal defendant; the accused
Legal term for a person charged with a criminal offense in court.
刑事被告は無罪を主張した。
The criminal defendant pleaded not guilty.
被告 is a general term for 'defendant' in both civil and criminal cases, while 刑事被告 specifically refers to a defendant in a criminal case.
Compound of 刑事 (criminal) and 被告 (defendant).