indictment

American  

[in-dahyt-muhnt] / ɪnˈdaɪt mənt /

noun

1. an act of indicting.

2. Law. a formal accusation initiating a criminal case, presented by a grand jury and usually required for felonies and other serious crimes.

3. any charge, accusation, serious criticism, or cause for blame.

4. the state of being indicted.

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indictment British  

/ ɪnˈdaɪtmənt /

noun

1. a formal written charge of crime formerly referred to and presented on oath by a grand jury

2. any formal accusation of crime

3. a charge of crime brought at the instance of the Lord Advocate

4. the act of indicting or the state of being indicted

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indictment Cultural  

1. A formal accusation of a crime, presented to the accused party after the charges have been considered by a grand jury.

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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

• nonindictment noun
• reindictment noun
• superindictment noun

Etymology

Origin of indictment

First recorded in 1275–1325; indict + -ment; replacing Middle English enditement, from Anglo-French ( indite )

Example Sentences

The grand-jury indictment unsealed on Friday carries state charges that supersede the previous charges announced by the county prosecutor last month.

From BBC

An indictment against Bezalel Zini published on Thursday argues he was aware that Hamas might profit from the resale of cigarettes and tobacco at inflated prices.

From BBC

Powell last month said the Fed had received on Jan. 9 grand jury subpoenas threatening a criminal indictment relating to his June 2025 testimony to Congress surrounding the Fed’s building construction project.

From The Wall Street Journal

Thanks to criminal indictments, the battlefront has moved from city streets to federal courts.

From The Wall Street Journal

The video evidence shows Lemon calmly interviewing the pastor, the very person the federal government’s indictment claims he tried to “oppress and intimidate.”

From Salon

Related Words

• allegation
• arraignment
• bill
• charge
• citation
• detention
• impeachment
• prosecution
• statement
• summons
• warrant