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

Some are still stuck there, and Vilnius has accused Minsk of "blackmail" over millions of euros in stranded goods.

Read more on Barron's

"I didn't want to be accused of murder. I felt ashamed. I felt like it were my fault," he told the court.

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His party has accused the authorities of denying him access to his medication - a charge the government has denied.

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In L.A. and across the country, defendants accused of assaulting federal officers have won acquittals or had charges dropped.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mr Williams, who was represented in court by barrister Graham Arnold, is accused of 21 offences.

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.