accused
Americanadjective
noun
noun
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
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 New York City Council is probing the advertising practices of Polymarket and other prediction markets, and Polymarket has been accused in lawsuits of deceptive business practices by almost two dozen traders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
In a bankruptcy court filing, MLB accused McCourt of “looting” $189 million in team revenue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Giving evidence for the second time, from behind a curtain, Nye told the court of her fear when the three accused went to her property.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Decades after Kim's death, the museum built in his honour is accused of trying to snuff out a tree.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
There’d been several more reports around town of people being accused of sedition.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
