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
- counteraccusation noun
- preaccusation noun
- reaccusation noun
- self-accusation noun
Etymology
Origin of accusation
1350–1400; Middle English accusacion < Latin accūsātiōn- (stem of accūsātiō ), equivalent to accūsāt ( us ), past participle of accūsāre ( accuse, -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion
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.
The same accusation arose a decade ago over its marketing of Sovaldi and Harvoni, its miracle cures for hepatitis C.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
For years, Western nations have accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran denies.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
To my mind, these wildly inconsistent results are enough to discredit any accusation based on a Pangram analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Noem rejected the accusation this week, saying she is renting an apartment with her own money.
From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026
After some discussion, the district attorney, the sheriff, and the ABI investigator agreed to stick with the McMillian accusation.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
