accused

American  

[uh-kyoozd] / əˈkyuzd /

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

During the interview, Belgacem accused Dbeibah of having "carried out no project on the scale of the Libyan state in the last five years".

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

The largest number of victims came from Iran, which accused the Saudis of botching administration of the pilgrimage.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Owens has separately accused Kirk’s widow, Erika, along with Turning Point USA, of using artificial intelligence to forge Kirk’s dying wishes.

From Salon • May 23, 2026

Washington accused Cuba of unlawfully targeting civilian planes in international waters, and other countries condemned the action.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

"Sorry. I shouldn't have accused your mother. That's terrible."

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman