impeach

American  

[im-peech] / ɪmˈpitʃ /

verb (used with object)

impeaches, present (3rd person singular) impeached, past participle, past impeaching present participle

1. to accuse (a public official) before an appropriate tribunal of misconduct in office.

2. Chiefly Law. to challenge the credibility of.

   to impeach a witness.

3. to bring an accusation against.

4. to call in question; cast an imputation upon.

   to impeach a person's motives.

   Synonyms:

   impugn, challenge, question

5. to call to account.

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noun

1. Obsolete. impeachment.

impeach British  

/ ɪmˈpiːtʃ /

verb

1. criminal law to bring a charge or accusation against

2. criminal law to accuse of a crime, esp of treason or some other offence against the state

3. to charge (a public official) with an offence committed in office

4. to challenge or question (a person's honesty, integrity, etc)

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Usage

What does impeach mean? Impeach means to formally accuse a public official of misconduct committed while in office. The act or process of impeaching or the state of being impeached is called impeachment. An offense that is cause for someone to be impeached can be called an impeachable offense. In the U. S., the word impeach is closely associated with the act of officially bringing charges of misconduct against a sitting president (though other federal officials can be impeached). Impeaching an official is not the same as convicting them or removing them from office—to impeach is simply to formally present charges against them. Under U. S. law (specifically Article I of the Constitution), the House of Representatives has the power to formally accuse federal officials of misconduct by impeaching them. According to the Constitution, an official can be impeached if they are alleged to have committed treason, bribery, or “other high crimes and misdemeanors” (this vague term covers a number of offenses but is the subject of debate). If the House votes to impeach, the Senate then conducts an impeachment trial. In order for the person to be found guilty, two-thirds of the Senate must vote in favor of conviction. If found guilty, the official is removed from office (and may be forbidden from holding political office again, depending on the ruling of the Senate). In a more general legal context, to impeach a witness is to question their credibility. The word impeach can also be used in a more general way meaning to call into question, as in How can you impeach my motives if you don’t know me? It can also mean to challenge or call to account, as in We must impeach such behavior, not condone it. Example: Representatives have said they will impeach the president if he refuses to resign.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• impeacher
  noun
• unimpeached
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have impeached
  perfect
• are impeaching
  progressive
• has impeached
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has been impeaching
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is impeaching
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been impeaching
  perfect progressive
• impeaches
  singular 3rd person
• am impeaching
  progressive 1st person singular
• impeaching
  participle

Past

• had impeached
  perfect
• were impeaching
  progressive plural
• was impeaching
  progressive singular
• had been impeaching
  perfect progressive
• impeached
  simple
• impeached
  participle

Future

• will impeach
  simple
• will have impeached
  perfect
• will have been impeaching
  perfect progressive
• will be impeaching
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of impeach

1350–1400; Middle English empechen, enpeshen < Anglo-French empecher < Late Latin impedicāre to fetter, trap, equivalent to Latin im- im- ¹ + pedic ( a ) a fetter (derivative of pēs foot ) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix

Explanation

Impeach means to charge someone with doing something wrong, specifically a high government official, such as the U.S. president, a senator, or a federal judge. Fortunately, very few presidents have had the dishonor of being impeached. If you impeach a president, you charge him or her with a crime. Congress may vote to impeach a president, but being impeached is only the first step in removing an official from office. Impeach comes from the Latin impedicare, meaning "catch, entangle." To impeach also means to cast doubt on someone's character. In a courtroom, a lawyer could impeach the credibility of a witness in order to discredit whatever that person said.

Example Sentences

In July, Steyer stepped down from leading his Need to Impeach campaign in order to enter the Democratic primary race.

From The Verge • Dec. 19, 2019

Mr. Steyer has some experience in retail politicking, having fielded questions at town-hall-style events held by Need to Impeach across the country.

From New York Times • Aug. 27, 2019

As he seeks the presidency, Steyer is resigning his leadership positions in both NextGen America and Need to Impeach.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 9, 2019

Steyer’s Need to Impeach group has generated a large membership list and held town halls across the nation.”

From Washington Post • Jul. 8, 2019

"Impeach the Government's witness?" repeated Feversham, then a sudden intelligence leaped into his face.

From The Rim of the Desert by Anderson, Ada Woodruff

Related Words

• accuse
• arraign
• criticize
• discredit
• indict
• reprimand