noun
-
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 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
He also addressed the accusations of antisemitism, writing that "one of the most effective ways to enforce silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism".
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
I’m expecting the hyenas to laugh, but this is a very serious accusation.
From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender
On Thursday, a senior Houthi official again rejected accusations that the movement had targeted Islamic holy sites, according to Houthi media.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
What was striking about that case was that the FTC brought it because it caught the company, then known as Facebook, violating a 2012 consent order that involved similar accusations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
No one truly disputes the importance of due process to handle accusations of sexual violence.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
There had been accusations that the honours system had been ignoring rugby league out of snobbishness.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
"Tariq's family isn't hiding. And accusations aren't evidence. Where are the courts in this picture?"
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions 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.
