indite

American  

[in-dahyt] / ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb (used with object)

indited, inditing

1. to compose or write, as a poem.

2. to treat in a literary composition.

3. Obsolete. to dictate.

4. Obsolete. to prescribe.

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indite British  

/ ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb

1. archaic to write

2. obsolete to dictate

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Usage

Indite and inditement are sometimes wrongly used where indict and indictment are meant: he was indicted (not indited ) for fraud

Other Word Forms

• inditement noun
• inditer noun

Etymology

Origin of indite

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English enditen, from Old French enditer, from unattested Vulgar Latin indictāre, derivative of Latin indictus, past participle of indīcere “to announce, proclaim”; in- ², dictum

Example Sentences

He that would triumph over the petty trickery of fate must indite history at its source.

From Literature

Mrs. Clinton’s email scandal unravels and unravels and unravels, but never in a sufficiently decisive way to put it beyond her supporters’ oily spin and ultimately indite her, morally if not legally.

From The Wall Street Journal

So, f became ph in words like sapphire and while Middle English had endite or indite, by the 17th century indict was being used, by analogy with the Latin indictāre.

From The Guardian

Who indited such flagrant blasphemy against the Holy Scriptures?

From Salon

He could copy such simple poetry as this, and feel it too, though he could indite no original poems on his canvas pages.

From Project Gutenberg