indite

American  

[in-dahyt] / ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb (used with object)

• indites,
  present (3rd person singular)
• indited,
  past participle,  past
• inditing
  present participle

1. to compose or write, as a poem.

2. to treat in a literary composition.

3. Obsolete. to dictate.

4. Obsolete. to prescribe.

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indite British  

/ ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb

1. archaic to write

2. obsolete to dictate

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Usage

Indite and inditement are sometimes wrongly used where indict and indictment are meant: he was indicted (not indited ) for fraud

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inditement
  noun
• inditer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• inditing
  present
• indited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• indite
  simple
• indites
  simple
• have indited
  perfect
• has indited
  perfect
• am inditing
  progressive
• are inditing
  progressive
• is inditing
  progressive
• have been inditing
  perfect progressive
• has been inditing
  perfect progressive

Past

• indited
  simple
• had indited
  perfect
• was inditing
  progressive
• were inditing
  progressive
• had been inditing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will indite
  simple
• will have indited
  perfect
• will be inditing
  progressive
• will have been inditing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of indite

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English enditen, from Old French enditer, from unattested Vulgar Latin indictāre, derivative of Latin indictus, past participle of indīcere “to announce, proclaim”; see in- ², dictum

Explanation

The verb indite, rarely used today, means "compose" or "put down in writing," like when you find a quiet place to sit down with your notebook and pen and indite a journal entry or a first draft of a short story. To indite is to write something creative — you indite a letter, and jot a grocery list. Don't confuse indite with its homophone indict, which means "to charge with a crime." Both come from the Latin word dictare, meaning “to declare.” Even if you indite a really bad poem, critics won't indict you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

indite indites indited inditing

Even in the White House he never dictated or used a typewriter, "and the number of letters he could indite with his own heavy fist was limited."

From Time Magazine Archive

He that would triumph over the petty trickery of fate must indite history at its source.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

I love the fair, who freely gives her heart, That's mine by ties of nature, not of art; Who boldly owns whate'er her thoughts indite, And is too modest for a hypocrite.

From The Inconstant by George Farquhar

We have a great mind, at some future moment of leisure, to indite an article on the subject, and vindicate, in all its antiquity, the speech of Ossian and of Adam.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 370, August 1846 by Various

He was gran-ther to the knight In whose honor I indite Burning strophes of the soul 'propriate to the flowing bowl.

From Julia Ward Howe 1819-1910 by Maud Howe Elliott

When he recovers he indites the aforesaid letter.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 349, November, 1844 by Various

Well, it is in this wise: A correspondent of the Month, who signs himself “Narcissus,” lives in a suburban square, from which he indites a remarkable letter.

From John Leech, His Life and Work. Vol. 1 by William Powell Frith

When Pennington for female ills indites, Studying alone not what, but how he writes, The ladies, as his graceful form they scan, Cry, with ill-omened rapture,—"Killing man!"

From The Jest Book The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings by Mark Lemon

Each night he indites in type-writer and addresses to Esther Lockwin an essay on the value of hope in great afflictions.

From David Lockwin—The People's Idol by John McGovern

All letters of business are subject to the order of the one who indites them, allowing the holder the privilege of retaining a copy.

From Secret Band of Brothers A Full and True Exposition of All the Various Crimes, Villanies, and Misdeeds of This Powerful Organization in the United States. by Jonathan Harrington Green

Soon the compromise was indited, the bargain between miners and owners sealed, the strike averted.

From Time Magazine Archive

He indited the script to "Emperors, Kings, Dukes, Marquises, Earls and Knights," full knowing that the house of Polo would profit by the advertisement.

From Time Magazine Archive

Readers ascertained on closer scrutiny that Mr. Rogers was permitting this journal to publish a series of open epistles indited by him to Calvin Coolidge.

From Time Magazine Archive

Rushing to Washington, Congressman Linthicum indited invitations to all 71st House members to attend a Wet Bloc organization meeting early in December.

From Time Magazine Archive

He promised to do so, and indited a letter to the officer who had the prisoner in charge, requesting his release, and giving assurances of the man's fealty to the Confederate government.

From The Spy of the Rebellion Being a True History of the Spy System of the United States Army during the Late Rebellion, by Allan Pinkerton

This social meal ended, she would sit down to write, penning letters, attending to business, or inditing stories if any such were in progress.

From Maria Edgeworth by Helen Zimmern

Within the last twenty-four hours of his existence a new chapter had been opened before him in his book of fate—it was not his own inditing.

From Jasper Lyle by Harriet Ward

Two only out of the ten witnesses have gratified him by inditing, at his request, weak and guarded complaints of unfair treatment.

From Abraham Lincoln: Was He A Christian? by John B. Remsburg

His military fever was slowly burning itself out, though he was able to fan the embers into flame when, later, he was inditing the adventures of "Maurice Tiernay."

From Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. I by Edmund Downey

The Captain was not long in inditing a short note to Scanlan, to whom, "strictly confidential," Mr. Merl was introduced as a great capitalist and speculator, desirous to ascertain all the resources of the land.

From The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II) by Charles James Lever