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

Austria's players were accused of "strolling around" until Algeria levelled.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

Internet users accused the brand of wasting water during the heatwave.

From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026

Prosecutors accused him of sharing national defense information with people—reportedly his wife and daughter—who helped him with his aforementioned memoir, The Room Where It Happened.

From Slate • Jun. 26, 2026

Kaplan accused her of instigating the investigation, and began to strip her of managerial authority, the complaint says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

The matron of the house accused Olka of stealing.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman