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 Cambodian bank founded by accused scam boss Chen Zhi, who has been indicted by the United States over a multibillion-dollar fraud and extradited to China, was ordered liquidated Thursday, Cambodia's central bank said.

From Barron's

"At its core, this was an arrest of two indicted fugitives of American justice, and the Department of War supported the Department of Justice in that job," Rubio said.

From Barron's

“At its core, this was an arrest of two indicted fugitives of American justice, and the Department of War supported the Department of Justice in that job,” Rubio said.

From Los Angeles Times

The US attorney general said Maduro had been indicted on drugs and weapons charges.

From BBC

Prosecutors indicted Yoon in November on several charges of aiding the enemy, alleging that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to strengthen his effort to declare military rule.

From Barron's

Related Words

• accuse
• charge