indictment

American  

[in-dahyt-muhnt] / ɪnˈdaɪt mənt /

noun

1. an act of indicting.

2. Law. a formal accusation initiating a criminal case, presented by a grand jury and usually required for felonies and other serious crimes.

3. any charge, accusation, serious criticism, or cause for blame.

4. the state of being indicted.

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indictment British  

/ ɪnˈdaɪtmənt /

noun

1. a formal written charge of crime formerly referred to and presented on oath by a grand jury

2. any formal accusation of crime

3. a charge of crime brought at the instance of the Lord Advocate

4. the act of indicting or the state of being indicted

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indictment Cultural  

1. A formal accusation of a crime, presented to the accused party after the charges have been considered by a grand jury.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonindictment noun
• reindictment noun
• superindictment noun

Etymology

Origin of indictment

First recorded in 1275–1325; indict + -ment; replacing Middle English enditement, from Anglo-French ( indite )

Example Sentences

The indictment says Mr. James and his brother, Edward James, used fraudulent borrowing schemes to finance acquisitions and operations.

From The Wall Street Journal

He also led the Journal’s investigation of fraud in Mozambique that resulted in global criminal indictments and a $475 million fine against Credit Suisse Group.

From The Wall Street Journal

The result is a devastating work of scholarship that commits the ultimate transgression of failing to include the trigger warnings so cherished by the targets of the author’s indictment.

From The Wall Street Journal

North Carolina A&T is among the schools that appear in the indictment, with player Camian Shell accused of working with the gambling ring to rig a contest against Towson.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wedding, who wore a tan prison jumper over an orange shirt and socks, told Judge John Early on Monday that he had read the two indictments against him and understood his rights.

From BBC

Related Words

• allegation
• arraignment
• bill
• charge
• citation
• detention
• impeachment
• prosecution
• statement
• summons
• warrant