indictment
Americannoun
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a formal written charge of crime formerly referred to and presented on oath by a grand jury
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any formal accusation of crime
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a charge of crime brought at the instance of the Lord Advocate
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the act of indicting or the state of being indicted
Usage
What does indictment mean? An indictment is an official accusation stating that a person is being charged with a crime and that a criminal trial will be held. An indictment is the final step in the evidence-gathering process before a person is put on trial for a serious crime, especially a felony. 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. Indictment can also be used in a more general way, outside of a legal context, to mean an accusation, strong criticism, or something that has the effect of revealing something as being deserving of criticism. Indictment is a noun form of the verb indict, which can be used in the sense of making formal criminal charges or in the more general sense of accusing or criticizing. Example: According to the indictment, the suspect is being charged with armed robbery.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of indictment
First recorded in 1275–1325; indict + -ment; replacing Middle English enditement, from Anglo-French ( see indite)
Explanation
An indictment, or a legal document charging you with a crime, is something you don't want to be the recipient of, so try not to rob any banks or start any money laundering schemes, and you'll probably be okay. An indictment is most frequently a charge of a serious crime. You may have heard on television legal programs the phrase "on the first count of the indictment," which means that there's more than one charge of a category of crime in the indictment. The word can also be used more informally to mean an accusation. A book or article detailing the wrongdoing of a person or industry may be said to be an indictment of that person or industry.
Vocabulary lists containing indictment
The Bill of Rights
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A Raisin in the Sun
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You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It's a damning indictment from someone who knows how high the standards should be at Ibrox.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Facing the real possibility of judicial sanctions, an inspector general investigation and disbarment, her office filed a 20-page motion to dismiss the indictment.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
On Friday, Pirro filed documents seeking dismissal of the case, saying new revelations "undermine the evidentiary basis for the indictment."
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The indictment comes months after the Los Angeles Police Department carried out a raid of Coolkicks’ warehouse in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In my party work I met a Negro Communist, Ross, who was under indictment for “inciting to riot.”
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Sheinbaum responded to the indictments by requesting the US provide "irrefutable" evidence against Rocha Moya before potentially extraditing him.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
The Department of Justice has also brought indictments against Cuba’s former President Raul Castro for the 1996 plane shooting that led to the passing of the 1996 act.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
Treason indictments against Robert E. Lee and other high-ranking Confederates were drawn up, then quietly shelved.
From Salon ● May 18, 2026
Instead, Iranian sellers, Chinese teapots and middlemen go to elaborate lengths to hide their activity, according to U.S. sanctions notifications and indictments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
Arrests, indictments, and a torrent of media coverage flooded the case of the atomic spies.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
