accused

[uh-kyoozd]

adjective

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

   the accused boy.

noun

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

accused

/ əˈkjuːzd /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• misaccused adjective
• self-accused adjective
• unaccused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of accused¹

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

Example Sentences

Heavy clashes broke out late Saturday between Afghan and Pakistani security forces on the common border after Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out air strikes on the capital, officials from both sides said.

Read more on Barron's

Israel has accused Hamas of manufacturing a crisis and stealing aid.

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He is currently accused only of destruction of property by means of fire.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After a grand jury returns an indictment at the request of a prosecutor, the accused appears in court for their arraignment.

Read more on Salon

Ms Wanjiru's family has long accused the British army of covering up her death and the Kenyan authorities of failing to properly investigate the case at the time.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

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.