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 ( indite )

Example Sentences

At the time of his video, Ver was under criminal indictment for millions in tax evasion and living on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

From Salon

The Justice Department can continue to pursue a criminal case against him, for instance by making a request through a different judge or seeking a grand jury indictment.

From The Wall Street Journal

The indictment alleges that, along with chief operating officer Anna Lucsok, he "orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars from government and private healthcare payers and patients".

From BBC

Through his actions, Ott risked inflicting "serious damage" on Austria's reputation among friendly intelligence services, according to the indictment seen by AFP.

From Barron's

The US airlines are not named in the indictment but are identified as being headquartered in Honolulu, Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas.

From BBC

Related Words

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