accused

American

[uh-kyoozd] / əˈkjuzd /

adjective

charged with a crime, wrongdoing, fault, etc..

the accused boy.

noun

Often the accused a person or persons charged in a court of law with a crime, offense, etc.

accused British

/ əˈkjuːzd /

noun

law the defendant or defendants appearing on a criminal charge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does accused mean? Accused is an adjective that means charged with a crime or other offense. Accused is also used as a noun to refer to a person or people who have been charged with a crime, often as the accused. To accuse someone of something means to say that they are guilty of it. This can happen in everyday situations, such as children accusing each other of not sharing. But accused is most used in the context of the criminal justice system to indicate that a person has been officially charged with a crime. Example: The accused was escorted in the courtroom by police.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of accused

First recorded in 1585–95; accuse + -ed ²

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:

accused

Gleizes was accused of possessing publications deemed harmful to national security.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

His campaign erected billboards denouncing discrimination against the Sephardim, and his party accused Netanyahu of sidelining Sephardic members of Likud by limiting their media appearances during the campaign.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

Darren Gold, who succeeded Gonzales-Torres as board president, alleged that she falsely accused him of shaking her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Meghan, who recently moved back to the UK with Prince Harry and their children, has frequently been accused of cutting off those once close to her.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

As a BDM leader, she was accused of miseducating Germany’s young people and sentenced to several years at a women’s prison camp.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023