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

Parents accused police of ignoring complaints that children had been going missing for more than two years.

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Despite being regular customers, the Wagner fighters wanted to detain his boss, and accused him of colluding with the jihadists who have a strong presence in the region, Ahmed said.

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Kyrgyzstan said Tuesday it had arrested the Chinese CEO of a gold mining firm accused of causing "large-scale" environmental damage, amid growing public scrutiny over Beijing's influence in the Central Asian country.

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They were accused of espionage, a charge which the couple and their family deny.

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The US State Department announced sanctions against a Haitian government official accused of supporting gangs and hindering efforts against criminal organizations.

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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.