accuser
Americannoun
Usage
What does accuser mean? An accuser is someone who accuses someone of a crime or offense—says that they are guilty of it. Doing so is called making an accusation. Accusing can happen in everyday situations, such as children accusing each other of not sharing, but accuser is typically only used in serious situations, especially when someone accuses someone else of committing a crime. The person against whom the accusation is made can be described with the adjective accused. 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. In many legal systems, the accused has the right to face their accuser in court. Example: This verdict has finally brought some justice to his many accusers.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of accuser
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at accuse, -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prudence was clearly not a priority, given that reshoots were ordered when production discovered a clause in Jackson accuser Jordan Chandler’s legal settlement that barred him from being mentioned or depicted in a film.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
The Orange County district attorney’s office sought the public’s help in identifying other potential victims of Medina, after which a third accuser came forward.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
He denied it and his mother dealt with it: She paid the bulk of the settlement to his accuser with her personal fortune.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
At the time, the White House said the victim referred to was the late Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser who died by suicide earlier this year.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
“I cannot believe that a fellow scythe would show such cowardice. I demand that the accuser reveal his or herself.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
