Showing results for "accused"

• past participle of accuse.
• past tense form 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

Nematollah Shahsavani, 41, and Alireza Farasati, 22, are accused of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

That 1960 pact is often accused of rendering US military bases virtually extraterritorial and immune to Japan's domestic laws.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Mr. Anderson covers it all, from Tom Brady’s high-school struggles to the NFL’s infamous $20 million “deflate-gate” investigation, during which the Patriots were accused of cheating, to his difficult divorce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Cornell conducted an internal investigation and suspended or expelled some of the men, but prosecutors did not bring criminal charges against any of the accused.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

“I haven’t accused you of anything,” Mr. Reardon said.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix