Showing results for "accused"

• past tense form of accuse.
• past participle of accuse.

accused

American  

[uh-kyoozd] / əˈkjuzd /

adjective

1. charged with a crime, wrongdoing, fault, etc..

   the accused boy.

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noun

1. Often the accused a person or persons charged in a court of law with a crime, offense, etc.

accused British  

/ əˈkjuːzd /

noun

1. law the defendant or defendants appearing on a criminal charge

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Usage

What does accused mean? Accused is an adjective that 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. To accuse someone of something means to say that they are guilty of it. This can happen in everyday situations, such as children accusing each other of not sharing. But accused is most used in the context of the criminal justice system to indicate that a person has been officially charged with a crime. Example: The accused was escorted in the courtroom by police.

Other Word Forms

• misaccused
  adjective
• self-accused
  adjective
• unaccused
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of accused

First recorded in 1585–95; accuse + -ed ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accused

The group last year accused the Libyan coast guard of attacking its Ocean Viking rescue ship in international waters.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Bonta, in a statement, accused Paramount of leaking and misrepresenting information the two sides had discussed during a preliminary session Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Bonta accused Paramount of failing to maintain confidentiality and misrepresenting Friday’s preliminary discussions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

In 2013, multiple media outlets accused Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul of plagiarizing in his speeches, newspaper column and his 2012 book from a variety of sources, including Wikipedia.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

“The Count of Monte Cristo. Another great Dumas book. An innocent man is betrayed, accused of treason, imprisoned, and after many long years, escapes. Napoleon, jealous of General Dumas, sent him to jail.”

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes