accused

[uh-kyoozd]

adjective

1. charged with a crime, wrongdoing, fault, etc..

   the accused boy.

noun

1. Often the accused a person or persons charged in a court of law with a crime, offense, etc.

accused

/ əˈkjuːzd /

noun

1. law the defendant or defendants appearing on a criminal charge

Other Word Forms

• misaccused adjective
• self-accused adjective
• unaccused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of accused¹

First recorded in 1585–95; accuse + -ed ²

Example Sentences

They also accused him of refusing police directions to exit the train onto the platform and to board a following train.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In their lawsuit, the former top officials contend that Mr Musk was frustrated about being forced to complete the purchase and that the billionaire falsely accused them of misconduct to push them out.

Read more on BBC

They were shocked that the man was now accused of causing such a catastrophic event.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Noem accused the singer and Navy veteran of badmouthing “every single individual that has ever stood up and fought for our freedoms.”

Read more on Salon

They accused him of pandering to the far right.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What does accused mean?

Accused is an adjective that means charged with a crime or other offense. Accused is also used as a noun to refer to a person or people who have been charged with a crime, often as the accused.To accuse someone of something means to say that they are guilty of it. This can happen in everyday situations, such as children accusing each other of not sharing. But accused is most used in the context of the criminal justice system to indicate that a person has been officially charged with a crime.Example: The accused was escorted in the courtroom by police.