indict

[in-dahyt]

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.

indict

/ ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of indict¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of indict¹

C14: alteration of enditen to _indite

Example Sentences

A grand jury in Carroll County, Md., indicted the spouses Thursday on “multiple counts related to fraud,” the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday in a statement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted James, a Democrat, on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, both felonies, according to court documents.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 25, 2025 – only the second time in history an FBI director has faced criminal charges.

Read more on Salon

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally indicted on federal bank fraud charges over a property she purchased in Virginia.

Read more on BBC

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally indicted on federal charges by a grand jury.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• accuse 
• charge 

When To Use

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.