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indictment
/ ɪnˈdaɪtmənt /
noun
- a formal written charge of crime formerly referred to and presented on oath by a grand jury
- any formal accusation of crime
- a charge of crime brought at the instance of the Lord Advocate
- the act of indicting or the state of being indicted
indictment
- A formal accusation of a crime, presented to the accused party after the charges have been considered by a grand jury .
Other Words From
- non·in·dict·ment noun
- re·in·dict·ment noun
- su·per·in·dict·ment noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of indictment1
Example Sentences
The victims, identified in the indictment only by their initials, M.S. and A.S., were told someone else had already submitted an application for their property, according to the indictment.
They are a sighed indictment of a broken world.
Elliott allegedly used one of the blank checks to make an unauthorized transfer of $16,000 to Church A, according to the indictment.
Jan. 6 was still fresh in public memory, Trump was drowning in lawsuits and indictments, and the pathetic lies about the “stolen” 2020 election were getting stale.
The US indictment alleges that Wedding and Clark directed the 20 November 2023 murders of two family members in Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through southern California.
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Related Words
More About Indictment
What does indictment mean?
An indictment is an official accusation stating that a person is being charged with a crime and that a criminal trial will be held.
An indictment is the final step in the evidence-gathering process before a person is put on trial for a serious crime, especially a felony. In the U.S., such indictments are presented by a grand jury—the group of people responsible for determining whether there is enough evidence of a crime for a suspect to be put on trial.
Indictment can also be used in a more general way, outside of a legal context, to mean an accusation, strong criticism, or something that has the effect of revealing something as being deserving of criticism.
Indictment is a noun form of the verb indict, which can be used in the sense of making formal criminal charges or in the more general sense of accusing or criticizing.
Example: According to the indictment, the suspect is being charged with armed robbery.
Where does indictment come from?
The first records of the word indictment come from around 1300. Its base word, indict, comes from the Latin indīctus, a form of the verb indīcere, meaning “to announce” or “to proclaim.”
An indictment is a formal announcement officially accusing someone of a crime. An indictment is issued only after a prosecutor and a grand jury have determined that police investigators have gathered enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. In the U.S. and the U.K., the law requires an indictment in order to charge someone with a serious crime or felony. This process is intended to ensure that a case only goes to trial if there is sufficient evidence.
Outside of the courtroom, indictment is often used in the context of strong criticism of serious wrongdoing, especially when it’s delivered in a formal way, as in Today’s opinion piece is a serious indictment of the administration. In this sense, an indictment isn’t always a statement—someone’s bad behavior could be an indictment of their character.
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What are some other forms related to indictment?
- nonindictment (noun)
- reindictment (noun)
- superindictment (noun)
- indict (verb)
What are some synonyms for indictment?
What are some words that share a root or word element with indictment?
What are some words that often get used in discussing indictment?
How is indictment used in real life?
Indictments usually involve serious crimes or wrongdoing. High-profile criminal indictments often make the news.
According to the indictment, Cobra's president provided FEMA's regional administrator with personal helicopter use, hotel accommodations, airfare, personal security services, and the use of a credit card in exchange for influence to receive power restoration work.
— Ari Natter (@AriNatter) September 10, 2019
This article is a strong indictment of the illusion of meritocracy. https://t.co/B4qD38L3Ef
— Dr. Mansa Keita (@rasmansa) May 23, 2019
The number of people who think that Revenge of the Sith is one of the best Star Wars movies is a stunning indictment of Star Wars.
— colette arrand (@colettearrand) December 21, 2019
Try using indictment!
True or False?
An indictment is presented at the end of a criminal trial.
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