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indict
[ in-dahyt ]
verb (used with object)
- Law. (of a grand jury) to bring a formal accusation against (someone) as a means of bringing a case to trial after ascertaining that there is enough evidence:
The grand jury indicted him for murder.
- to charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; incriminate; condemn:
He tends to indict everyone of plotting against him.
indict
/ ɪnˈdaɪt /
verb
- tr to charge (a person) with crime, esp formally in writing; accuse
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Usage
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Derived Forms
- inˈdicter, noun
- ˌindictˈee, noun
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Other Words From
- in·dict·ee [in-dahy-, tee], noun
- in·dict·er in·dic·tor noun
- re·in·dict verb (used with object)
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of indict1
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Example Sentences
He emphasized that the company has a robust compliance program and that neither it nor any of its executives have been indicted for any crime.
Republicans initially floated the idea of trying to give Traficant their own slots on committees, but by May of that year he was indeed indicted.
There was also an expectation that he would soon be indicted, given several of his associates had been convicted in a long-running corruption investigation.
He was indicted on 17 federal weapons charges after police allegedly found materials to produce Molotov cocktails and five illegal firearms — including an AR-15 — in his pickup truck.
When two members of the Louisiana returning board were indicted in June 1877 for altering election returns, Democrats took it as proof that Hayes’s election had indeed been fraudulent.
We see a system that will indict a 20-year-old for selling crack but not a police officer for choking the life out of a citizen.
Both were killed by police officers, but grand juries failed to indict in either case.
I looked in the news and watched the news last night after the grand jury decided not to indict him.
Even though a grand jury chose not to indict the cop who killed Eric Garner, the video is damning of police.
Today, a grand jury announced that it would not indict the officer, Daniel Pantaleo.
Further clauses indict the inferior ministers occupied about the cess.
The curate, properly managed, may depose to the contrary; and then we will indict them all for forgery and conspiracy.
People have a genius for remorse as for other emotions, and Forbes was of those who can mercilessly indict their own souls.
The grand jury refused to indict the Mayor, and indicted his accusers.
If we believe the Duke himself, he was forced to move at last by efforts to indict him as a traitor in Ireland itself.
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More About Indict
What does indict mean?
To indict someone is to officially charge them with a crime that will be the subject of a criminal trial.
Indicting a suspect is the final step in the evidence-gathering process before a person is put on trial for a serious crime, especially a felony. The official announcement of this accusation is called an indictment. 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.
Indict can also be used in a more general way, outside of a legal context, to mean to accuse or strongly criticize, or to reveal something as being deserving of criticism. The noun indictment can also be used in this more general sense.
Example: The suspect has been indicted for armed robbery and will face trial next month.
Where does indict come from?
The first records of the word indict come from around 1300. It ultimately comes from the Latin indīctus, a form of the verb indīcere, meaning “to announce” or “to proclaim.”
To indict is to formally announce a criminal accusation against someone. An indictment is issued only after a prosecutor and a grand jury have determined that police investigators have gathered enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. In the U.S. and the U.K., the law requires an indictment in order to charge someone with a serious crime or felony. This process is intended to ensure that a case only goes to trial if there is sufficient evidence.
Outside of the courtroom, indict is often used in the context of strong criticism of serious wrongdoing, especially when it’s delivered in a formal way, as in Today’s opinion piece indicts the administration’s decision-making. In this sense, to indict isn’t always to make a statement—someone’s bad behavior could indict their character.
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What are some other forms related to indict?
- indictment (noun)
- indictable (adjective)
- indictee (noun)
- indicter (noun)
- indictor (noun)
- reindict (verb)
- unindicted (adjective)
What are some synonyms for indict?
What are some words that share a root or word element with indict?
What are some words that often get used in discussing indict?
What are some words indict may be commonly confused with?
How is indict used in real life?
Indict is usually used in the context of serious crimes or wrongdoing.
Three Former Hilo Correctional Officers Indicted for Assaulting an Inmate and Attempting to Cover it Up https://t.co/EbI1ytTbgu
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) July 1, 2020
In 2013, Nicholas Schmidle wrote about the case against Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci, who was recently indicted for war crimes.https://t.co/X806IwBw6A
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) June 30, 2020
As always, the people who rip on P.K. Subban's character invariably fail and only indict their own. He's great. Get over it.
— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) April 29, 2017
Try using indict!
True or False?
Suspects are indicted at the end of a criminal trial.
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