criminate

American  

[krim-uh-neyt] / ˈkrɪm əˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

criminated, criminating

1. to charge with a crime.

2. to incriminate.

3. to censure (something) as criminal; condemn.

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criminate British  

/ ˈkrɪmɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. to charge with a crime; accuse

2. to condemn or censure (an action, event, etc)

3. short for incriminate

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Other Word Forms

• crimination
  noun
• criminator
  noun
• criminative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of criminate

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin crīminātus, past participle of crīminārī “to accuse”; see origin at crime, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

criminate criminated criminating

The English law, with a tenderness then unknown, would now protect a man from all efforts to make him criminate himself.

From The Condition of Catholics Under James I. by John Gerard

"Proceed, Alex, only do not forget that under the merciful statutes of the State of Nevada no man is obliged to make statements which will criminate himself."

From The Comstock Club by Charles Carroll Goodwin

He may not be asked questions tending to criminate his wife.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various

This disclosure, if it exculpates you, will of course criminate her, and among those, too, where she has been received and admitted on terms of the closest friendship.

From Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I by Charles James Lever

Could any thing tend more to criminate his lordship than the sudden punishment of the accuser, while in the act of preferring his complaint?

From Secret History of the Court of England, from the Accession of George the Third to the Death of George the Fourth, Volume II (of 2) Including, Among Other Important Matters, Full Particulars of the Mysterious Death of the Princess Charlotte by Lady Anne Hamilton

Intellectuals were denied free expression; businessmen were dis criminated against in favor of nobles.

From Time Magazine Archive

They concurred in everything which she had told me, and repeated, without any signs of shame or compunction, things which criminated themselves.

From Awful Disclosures Containing, Also, Many Incidents Never before Published by Maria Monk

La Rochefoucauld, Soubise, and others were criminated to a minor degree.

From History of the Rise of the Huguenots Volume 2 by Henry Martyn Baird

Had Pilate been compelled to give sentence against Christ, he would have had no sense of guilt; nor could he have been justly criminated.

From Sermons on Various Important Subjects by Andrew Lee

I vindicated—I cleared—and yet no felon's dock for Jasper!—the son not criminated by the father's acquittal!

From What Will He Do with It? — Complete by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton

Once some of the novelty wears off, Xerox users will probably learn to be a little more dis criminating about what they copy.

From Time Magazine Archive

I lave extremely acute hearing and vision, plus a sense of smell extraordinarily dis criminating ...

From Time Magazine Archive

These persons are here brought in a mass to clear themselves of this charge by criminating other persons, and clandestinely imputing to them the effect of their own iniquity.

From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12) by Edmund Burke

Witnesses are not excused from answering criminating questions; but their evidence cannot be used against them in any proceedings except criminal proceedings for perjury in respect of that evidence.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

As magistrates, they find it very often difficult to make thieves and robbers tell lies, according to the English fashion, to avoid running a risk of criminating themselves.

From Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official by William Sleeman