noun
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an allegation that a person is guilty of some fault, offence, or crime; imputation
-
a formal charge brought against a person stating the crime that he is alleged to have committed
Usage
What does accusation mean? An accusation is a claim that someone is guilty of a crime or offense. To make an accusation is to accuse someone. This can happen in everyday situations, such as children accusing each other of not sharing. But accusation is typically used in a legal context to refer to an official claim or charge that a crime has been committed. A person who makes an accusation (who accuses) is called an accuser (especially when the accusation involves a crime). The adjective accused 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. Statements that suggest or outright say that someone did something wrong can be described as accusatory. Example: If you’re going to make an accusation that serious, you’d better have some evidence to back it up.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of accusation
1350–1400; Middle English accusacion < Latin accūsātiōn- (stem of accūsātiō ), equivalent to accūsāt ( us ), past participle of accūsāre ( see accuse, -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
When you say someone is guilty of doing something wrong you make an accusation, like your accusation that your brother used your computer without asking first. Accusation comes from the verb accuse, which means to charge someone with a crime. It is important to remember that an accusation comes about when someone thinks another person has done something wrong or committed a crime. It doesn't mean, however, that the person is guilty. There needs to be proof — an investigation or trial, even admission of guilt — before a conviction, meaning the person really is guilty.
Vocabulary lists containing accusation
The Bill of Rights
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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Wasn't Me: The Lingo of Laying Blame
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The accusation against Hijazi was a “dagger,” said Schuster, who said she still supported her longtime therapist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The accusation came as fighting intensified in Yemen.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
They want to know whether simply gathering to pray could leave them vulnerable to an accusation of conversion.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Clavicular himself has been accusing the girl of fabricating her claims to get revenge for being rejected by him, an accusation echoed online by many of his fans.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
I wince, but it’s hard for me to defend myself against his accurate accusation.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
They have pleaded not guilty and denied the accusations through their attorneys, who declined to comment on the new allegations leveled in court Friday by prosecutors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Sabatini denied the allegations and sued Knouse in 2021, saying they had a consensual relationship and that the accusations came after he left Knouse for another woman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Please verify the identity of the person you are looking for before contacting, tagging, or making accusations against someone."
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The inquiry, known as the Madlanga Commission, began in September 2025 and has heard accusations that Sibiya received a gift of 20 impalas from an alleged criminal kingpin in exchange for a police contract.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The articles suited the tenor of the moment established by Senator Joseph McCarthy’s febrile accusations of Communist influence in every corner of government.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
