bill of particulars

American  

noun

Law.

1. a formal statement prepared by a plaintiff or a defendant itemizing a claim or counterclaim in a suit.

2. an itemized statement prepared by the prosecution and informing the accused of the charges in a criminal case.

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Etymology

Origin of bill of particulars

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The past week I’ve talked to two historians, one rightish, one leftish, and both conversations turned toward Thomas Jefferson’s stinging bill of particulars against King George III in the Declaration of Independence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

The bill of particulars that the committee offers is detailed and devastating.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2023

Reading the chamber’s bill of particulars against Chopra, it’s hard to avoid the impression that, as Hamlet’s Queen Gertrude might say, the body doth protest too much.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2022

Lyle Denniston, who has attended more Supreme Court arguments than any other journalist and quite possibly more than anyone alive, issued a bill of particulars objecting to the new format after the second conference-call argument.

From New York Times • May 18, 2020

The bill of particulars I will send you by post.

From Guy Rivers: A Tale of Georgia by Simms, William Gilmore