- present participle of incriminate.
incriminating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Something incriminating makes it clear that you're guilty. Incriminating evidence is often enough for police to arrest a suspect. An open cookie jar and crumbs all over your brother's shirt are incriminating enough for your grandma to scold him for sneaking cookies, and a detective will probably consider the fact that a suspect is wearing a watch belonging to a robbery victim to be incriminating evidence. In both cases, the evidence suggests guilt. Incriminating comes from the Latin incriminare, "to incriminate," from in-, "in," and criminare, "to accuse of a crime."
Vocabulary lists containing incriminating
The Westing Game
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Red Kayak
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bomb
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The vehicle’s registration turned out to be expired, Castronovo said, but the driver was allowed to leave without a citation after the officers searched his vehicle and found nothing incriminating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“The Fourth Amendment requires a warrant to identify a particular account,” he says, “supported by probable cause that incriminating evidence exists in that account.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
It said it also took into account "the public discussion on social media, which was incriminating for the defendant".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
Stroup said, “It was kind of almost incriminating to be seen walking up there.”
From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2025
His job was to prove that Dreyfus’s handwriting matched the incriminating note, and he took the stand with a bewildering display of charts and pseudoscientific diagrams.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
