Indictment Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms 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.

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

"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 indictment Cultural

1. A formal accusation of a crime, presented to the accused party after the charges have been considered by a grand jury.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was not until almost a month later, on 13 February, that the indictment was reported in the media.

From BBC

District Judge Dolly M. Gee dismissed the criminal indictment with prejudice, barring the government from refiling the same charges.

From Los Angeles Times

She said this was to flag up the fact Murrell had been served with an indictment, warning ministers that the case was live and that they should not comment on it.

From BBC

“Reality Check,” though, takes its indictment a step further.

From Salon

She said that the memo had been sent in the knowledge that the indictment would be made public, which it was almost a month later, on 13 February.

From BBC

Related Words

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

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.