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

Speaking at a conference, he insisted that Disney, “on its own,” made a “business decision” and accused Democratic lawmakers of “distorting what happened here.”

From Salon

Eight people have gone on trial accused of rioting which caused "mayhem" and "carnage" in Ely, Cardiff, two years ago.

From BBC

Mutharika was charged with treason after being accused of being part of a plot to hide his brother's death to give him time to manoeuvre to keep Banda out of the presidency.

From BBC

A former Scottish government minister who was accused of assaulting Conservative MSP Douglas Ross has apologised for his conduct.

From BBC

Two of the accused are said to have ties with state officials, but it was never seriously investigated, opposition and watchdogs said.

From 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.