indite
Americanverb (used with object)
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indites,
present (3rd person singular)
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indited,
past participle, past
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inditing
present participle
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to compose or write, as a poem.
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to treat in a literary composition.
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Obsolete. to dictate.
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Obsolete. to prescribe.
verb
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archaic to write
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obsolete to dictate
Usage
Indite and inditement are sometimes wrongly used where indict and indictment are meant: he was indicted (not indited ) for fraud
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inditesimple
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inditessimple
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have inditedperfect
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has inditedperfect
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am inditingprogressive
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are inditingprogressive
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is inditingprogressive
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have been inditingperfect progressive
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has been inditingperfect progressive
Past
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inditedsimple
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had inditedperfect
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was inditingprogressive
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were inditingprogressive
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had been inditingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see in- 2, dictum
Explanation
The verb indite, rarely used today, means "compose" or "put down in writing," like when you find a quiet place to sit down with your notebook and pen and indite a journal entry or a first draft of a short story. To indite is to write something creative — you indite a letter, and jot a grocery list. Don't confuse indite with its homophone indict, which means "to charge with a crime." Both come from the Latin word dictare, meaning “to declare.” Even if you indite a really bad poem, critics won't indict you.
Vocabulary lists containing indite
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Commonly Confused Words, List 5
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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:
Even in the White House he never dictated or used a typewriter, "and the number of letters he could indite with his own heavy fist was limited."
From Time Magazine Archive
He that would triumph over the petty trickery of fate must indite history at its source.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Come, girls, we must indite that letter to Ruth’s mother now.
From Girl Scouts at Dandelion Camp by Lillian Elizabeth Roy
The few lines must have been pages, they took so long to indite.
From Daisy Burns (Volume 1) by Julia Kavanagh
She would indite a little letter to her brother, and, lest there should be delays she would not put her letter in the post.
From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield
The One who indites this epistle is thus designated, probably, because, unless they repented of the things alleged against them, he would fight against them with the sword of his mouth.
From A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse by Sylvester Bliss
In Addison: Attend to what a lesser muse indites.
From The Works of Samuel Johnson, Volume 05 Miscellaneous Pieces by Samuel Johnson
Well, it is in this wise: A correspondent of the Month, who signs himself “Narcissus,” lives in a suburban square, from which he indites a remarkable letter.
From John Leech, His Life and Work. Vol. 1 by William Powell Frith
Death hesitates, but, urged by Fate, he indites his answer, refusing to comply with Lucifer’s request.
From The Visions of the Sleeping Bard by Robert Gwyneddon Davies
Each night he indites in type-writer and addresses to Esther Lockwin an essay on the value of hope in great afflictions.
From David Lockwin—The People's Idol by John McGovern
Readers ascertained on closer scrutiny that Mr. Rogers was permitting this journal to publish a series of open epistles indited by him to Calvin Coolidge.
From Time Magazine Archive
Soon the compromise was indited, the bargain between miners and owners sealed, the strike averted.
From Time Magazine Archive
He indited the script to "Emperors, Kings, Dukes, Marquises, Earls and Knights," full knowing that the house of Polo would profit by the advertisement.
From Time Magazine Archive
Rushing to Washington, Congressman Linthicum indited invitations to all 71st House members to attend a Wet Bloc organization meeting early in December.
From Time Magazine Archive
Many a fair hand indited and sent billets to him, that would have turned some loftier heads than his.
From Curiosities of Human Nature by Anonymous
His first halt was at a village called Hoser, where he halted for one night, which he employed in inditing the report to Pekin, which described the successes and movements of the previous three weeks.
From The Life of Yakoob Beg Athalik Ghazi, and Badaulet; Ameer of Kashgar by Demetrius Charles Boulger
I fancied it would be so pleasant to present her with a volume of my own inditing.
From Trevethlan (Vol 3 of 3) A Cornish Story. by William Davy Watson
Within the last twenty-four hours of his existence a new chapter had been opened before him in his book of fate—it was not his own inditing.
From Jasper Lyle by Harriet Ward
No more inditing of those painfully constructed letters which his sense of duty had made incumbent on him, letters which it had taken him so long to write, and which were probably never read.
From Notwithstanding by Mary Cholmondeley
The beautiful broad white petals give a snowy surface for the inditing of messages or valentines, which are written with a pin, when the letters turn dark brown.
From Old-Time Gardens Newly Set Forth by Alice Morse Earle
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