indict

American  

[in-dahyt] / ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb (used with object)

1. 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.

2. to charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; incriminate; condemn.

   He tends to indict everyone of plotting against him.

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indict British  

/ ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to charge (a person) with crime, esp formally in writing; accuse

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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

• indictee noun
• indicter noun
• indictor noun
• reindict verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of indict

First recorded in 1620–30; variant spelling (from Medieval Latin ) of indite

Example Sentences

A former Google employee accused of stealing trade secrets related to the company’s Pixel phones was indicted Thursday, adding to cases highlighting the security threats companies face in an era of rapidly evolving technology.

From The Wall Street Journal

As the country's top prosecutor in 2019, he also indicted a senior aide of Park's successor, Moon Jae-in, in a fraud and bribery case.

From Barron's

After a judge dismissed the case, two federal grand juries declined to indict James again, and Keller returned to Missouri.

From Salon

One of the reservists and a civilian were indicted on a charge of committing serious security offenses, bribery and obstruction of justice, Shin Bet said, without naming the people who were arrested.

From The Wall Street Journal

Grand juries repeatedly have refused to indict the defendants.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accuse
• charge