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 ( 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.

Example Sentences

Liu's indictment comes in the wake of widely reported findings from a United States investigation into the crash, which was China's deadliest air disaster in decades.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The indictment comes after some initial confusion over whether Allen had fired the shot that struck a Secret Service officer involved in security for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The indictment carries a maximum sentence of ten years.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro signed off on the new indictment unsealed on Tuesday, which supersedes the previous charges.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

He had thought the label was funny—a badge of honor—but now it was an indictment.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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