accusatorial

American  

[uh-kyoo-zuh-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] / əˌkyu zəˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr- /

adjective

1. of, like, or pertaining to an accuser.

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accusatorial British  

/ ˌækjʊˈzeɪtərɪ, əˈkjuːzətərɪ, -trɪ, əˌkjuːzəˈtɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. containing or implying blame or strong criticism

2. law denoting criminal procedure in which the prosecutor is distinct from the judge and the trial is conducted in public Compare inquisitorial

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Usage

What does accusatorial mean? Accusatorial is used to describe people to imply that they are making an accusation—a claim that someone is guilty of a crime or offense.It can also mean implying blame or strong criticism.The similar word accusatory can be used interchangeably. But whereas accusatorial is perhaps more often applied to people, accusatory is commonly used to describe things that contain or suggest an accusation. An accusatory statement is usually one that directly claims that someone did something wrong. When someone says something in an accusatory tone, it suggests that they are accusing someone of something—even if the statement doesn’t contain a direct accusation.Example: I don’t mean to be accusatorial—I was just making an observation.

Other Word Forms

• accusatorially adverb

Etymology

Origin of accusatorial

First recorded in 1815–25; accusatory + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Some have assumed she meant it accusatorially: I must be a Christian, and that is why I won’t raise my hand.

From Washington Post

“What is his tweet about then?” she demanded, accusatorially.

From Washington Times

Instead, the entire country would move to a so-called accusatorial system, in which prosecutors and defense lawyers presented their evidence in public.

From New York Times

The Fehm-tribunals had three different modes of procedure, namely, that in case of the criminal being taken in the fact, the inquisitorial, and the purely accusatorial.

From Project Gutenberg

When a crime had been committed, and the criminal had not been taken in the fact, there remained two ways of proceeding against him, namely, the inquisitorial and the accusatorial processes.

From Project Gutenberg