indict
Americanverb (used with object)
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indicts,
present (3rd person singular)
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indicted,
past participle, past
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indicting
present participle
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Law. (of a grand jury) to bring a formal accusation against (someone) as a means of bringing a case to trial after ascertaining that there is enough evidence.
The grand jury indicted him for murder.
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to charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; incriminate; condemn.
He tends to indict everyone of plotting against him.
verb
Usage
What does indict mean? To indict someone is to officially charge them with a crime that will be the subject of a criminal trial. Indicting a suspect is the final step in the evidence-gathering process before a person is put on trial for a serious crime, especially a felony. The official announcement of this accusation is called an indictment. In the U. S., such indictments are presented by a grand jury—the group of people responsible for determining whether there is enough evidence of a crime for a suspect to be put on trial. Indict can also be used in a more general way, outside of a legal context, to mean to accuse or strongly criticize, or to reveal something as being deserving of criticism. The noun indictment can also be used in this more general sense. Example: The suspect has been indicted for armed robbery and will face trial next month.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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indictsimple
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indictssimple
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have indictedperfect
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has indictedperfect
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am indictingprogressive
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are indictingprogressive
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is indictingprogressive
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have been indictingperfect progressive
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has been indictingperfect progressive
Past
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indictedsimple
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had indictedperfect
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was indictingprogressive
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were indictingprogressive
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had been indictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of indict
First recorded in 1620–30; variant spelling (from Medieval Latin ) of indite
Explanation
If you accuse someone of committing an offense, you indict them. A book that indicts the entire education system might lay out all the reasons that schools are failing kids. In a legal sense, the verb indict means to bring formal charges against someone, especially in a court of law, as in a federal grand jury. The grand jury indicted, the man on 12 counts of murder. Although it's true the boy had stolen cookies from the cookie jar in the past, that is no reason to indict him out of hand in the present case. There were no witnesses and the crumb evidence would suggest someone else committed the crime.
Vocabulary lists containing indict
You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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Fast Food Nation
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The Hate U Give
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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.
See Examples For:
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. began to indict Russian oligarchs and seize yachts and other assets.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
But this changed two years ago when customary law was struck out, he explained, giving "a new regime to indict anyone taking part in the marriage of someone below the age of 18".
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The judge accused prosecutors of impropriety with the grand jury, which initially declined to indict the group that became known as the Broadview Six.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The DA could try to indict Perkins again, especially if other witnesses come forward or new evidence emerges.
From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026
In other words, the grand jury had decided not to indict the officers.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
In “Violent Saviors” Mr. Easterly indicts an idea he calls “the Development Right of Conquest”—quite the mouthful—which “confers the right to conquer lands on those who bring material progress to these lands.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
“It’ll actually be interesting to see if a grand jury indicts these cases.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2025
Former federal officers may do so when a state indicts them for actions that were within their official duties and they have a “colorable” defense under federal law.
From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2023
In Georgia and in the federal system, a grand jury that indicts people cannot force the testimony of a target.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 13, 2023
This indicts the Jesuits for every sort and kind of misdemeanour.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
He said that 30 suspects had been indicted over the killing so far.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
While they mention — almost in passing — that it’s the “same courthouse where Paxton would later be indicted for investment fraud,” the focus is on the pen.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Mladic was dismissed from his post after being indicted in 1995, but he evaded capture for another 16 years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
While U.S. authorities have bought charges against ex-Mexican governors and other former high-ranking officials, the case against Rocha Moya marked the first time that a sitting Mexican governor has been indicted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
He was really pleased when he was indicted by a stern and frightened jury.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Richarlison, who saw a deadline day move to Everton breakdown, is understood to be exploring his options with sources indicting the 29-year-old is keen to be released from the remainder of his deal.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“Britannia rules the waves” encapsulated Great Britain’s command of the seas in a bygone era, but it’s now an empty slogan indicting the British navy’s decline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
Prosecutors announcing at the outset of a case who they're indicting, the charges being brought and why is "fine," he explained.
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2024
The day before indicting Burke, the DOJ released guidelines which say employment by a news outlet is just one of many factors relevant to whether someone is a journalist.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2024
Other Powers Granted To American Judges The United States all the citizens have the right of indicting public functionaries before the ordinary tribunals—How they use this right—Art.
From Democracy in America — Volume 1 by Henry Reeves
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.
