arraignment

American  

[uh-rayn-muhnt] / əˈreɪn mənt /

noun

• arraignments
  plural

1. Law. an act or instance of bringing someone before a criminal court to hear an indictment, or formal charge, against them and to enter a plea in response to that charge.

   At her arraignment Crane pleaded not guilty, and the trial was set for May 21.

2. a calling into question or a finding fault, especially with respect to the value or virtue of something; critical examination.

   In his arraignment of the basic weaknesses in the nation's social fabric, he drew special attention to racism.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonarraignment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• arraignments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of arraignment

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English arainement, from Middle French araisnement; equivalent to arraign + -ment

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Explanation

If the police think you pulled a diamond heist, and they have enough evidence to charge you with that crime, you'll be called to court for your arraignment, when you can plead guilty or not guilty. The trial comes next. Arraignment comes from the French word aresnier, which means to address, or speak reasonably. It's almost only used in the legal sense as answering for yourself, or pleading, "guilty" or "not guilty." The verb arraign means to call someone before the court to answer an accusation (called in legal speak, an indictment), so an arraignment is either the piece of paper that calls you to court, or the hearing in which that charge is read to you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arraignment arraignments

At her arraignment in Queens, Blair's attorney Shawn Barnes asked the judge for leniency.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Prosecutors are asking a judge to issue a warrant for De Anda’s arrest in relation to the charges, with an arraignment to be set at a later date, according to Hochman’s office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

York pleaded no contest to both charges at an arraignment hearing and was found guilty.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Pearsall appeared Thursday at the Westminster courthouse and was scheduled to be arraigned, but his arraignment was continued until Sept. 21.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

A veteran, he approached this stage of the process, the arraignment, with efficiency.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Both men entered pleas of not guilty at their arraignments but have indicated to the court they will enter guilty pleas at hearings set for April 27, according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

Last year, county supervisors raised the possibility of using Metro buses, and court officials tried exploring the idea of doing remote video arraignments from inside the jails — but neither plan worked out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2025

Lawyer Sidney Powell and publicist Trevian Kutti did not appear in person for their arraignments.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 30, 2023

Next, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to set arraignments for each of the defendants in the coming weeks.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

In the arraignments, which soon began, the Loyalists were convicted not out of their mouths, but out of their addresses.

From The Loyalists of Massachusetts And the Other Side of the American Revolution by James H. Stark

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Related Words

• indictment

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