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arraign

[ uh-reyn ]
/ əˈreɪn /
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See synonyms for: arraign / arraigned on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
Law. to call or bring before a court to answer to an indictment, a formal charge for which it has been ascertained that there is enough evidence to warrant trial: He is scheduled to be arraigned this morning on drug and gun charges.
to accuse or charge in general; criticize; censure: I am not arraigning Professor Wells for these omissions, only mentioning them to indicate how complex such questions can be.
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Origin of arraign

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English arainen, from Anglo-French arainer, Old French araisnier, equivalent to a- a-5 + raisnier, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin ratiōnāre “to talk, reason”; see ratio

OTHER WORDS FROM arraign

ar·raign·er, noun

Words nearby arraign

arquebus, arr., arracacha, arrack, arrah, arraign, arraigned, arraignment, Arran, arrange, arranged marriage
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to arraign

incriminate, indict, summon, blame, charge, criminate, inculpate, hang on, point the finger at

How to use arraign in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for arraign

arraign
/ (əˈreɪn) /
verb (tr)
to bring (a prisoner) before a court to answer an indictment
to call to account; complain about; accuse

Derived forms of arraign

arraigner, nounarraignment, noun

Word Origin for arraign

C14: from Old French araisnier to speak, accuse, from a- ² + raisnier, from Vulgar Latin ratiōnāre (unattested) to talk, argue, from Latin ratiō a reasoning
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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