incriminate

[ in-krim-uh-neyt ]
See synonyms for: incriminateincriminatedincriminatingincrimination on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·crim·i·nat·ed, in·crim·i·nat·ing.
  1. to accuse of or present proof of a crime or fault: He incriminated both men to the grand jury.

  2. to involve in an accusation; cause to be or appear to be guilty; implicate: His testimony incriminated his friend. He feared incriminating himself if he answered.

  1. to charge with responsibility for all or part of an undesirable situation, harmful effect, etc.: to incriminate cigarettes as a cause of lung cancer.

Origin of incriminate

1
First recorded in 1720–30; from Late Latin incrīminātus, past participle of incrīmināre “to accuse”; see in-2, criminate

Other words from incriminate

  • in·crim·i·na·tion, noun
  • in·crim·i·na·tor, noun
  • in·crim·i·na·to·ry [in-krim-uh-nuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ɪnˈkrɪm ə nəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
  • non·in·crim·i·nat·ing, adjective
  • non·in·crim·i·na·tion, noun
  • non·in·crim·i·na·to·ry, adjective
  • un·in·crim·i·nat·ed, adjective
  • un·in·crim·i·nat·ing, adjective

Words Nearby incriminate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use incriminate in a sentence

  • “Arias had a terrific memory for just about everything except for those aspects of the case that incriminate her,” he says.

    Jodi Arias’s High-Wire Act | Christine Pelisek | February 22, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • According to a knowledgeable source, Hernandez began to incriminate himself only after more than an hour of questioning.

  • In other words, he asked Elena Kagan to incriminate herself.

    How Elena Kagan Schooled Congress | Tunku Varadarajan | June 28, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Those letters incriminate you to the full in this infamous matter here at Condillac.

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • No man is called upon to incriminate himself in this free and independent country.

    The Circular Study | Anna Katharine Green
  • "You are not required to confess or incriminate yourself, unless you want to," Captain Foster advised the prisoner.

  • He is hereby warned of his right under the law to challenge any question which may incriminate or tend to incriminate him.

    The Incendiary | W. A. (William Augustine) Leahy
  • If the worst came to the worst, and the boy came to harm, the paper would incriminate nobody.

    Kim | Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for incriminate

incriminate

/ (ɪnˈkrɪmɪˌneɪt) /


verb(tr)
  1. to imply or suggest the guilt or error of (someone)

  2. to charge with a crime or fault

Origin of incriminate

1
C18: from Late Latin incrīmināre to accuse, from Latin crīmen accusation; see crime

Derived forms of incriminate

  • incrimination, noun
  • incriminator, noun
  • incriminatory, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012