indict

verb

in·​dict in-ˈdīt 

indicted; indicting; indicts

transitive verb

1

: to charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a jury (such as a grand jury) in due form of law

2

: to charge with a fault or offense : criticize, accuse

indicter noun

or indictor

in-ˈdī-tər 

Synonyms

• accuse
• charge
• criminate
• defame [archaic]
• impeach
• incriminate

Examples of indict in a Sentence

A grand jury is expected to indict him for murder.

the grand jury could indict the mayor for fraud and embezzlement

Recent Examples on the Web

Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov broke his silence eight days after being indicted by French authorities. —Julia Redpath, NPR, 6 Sep. 2024

But the agreement imploded after a judge questioned unusual aspects of it, and Hunter Biden was subsequently indicted in the two cases. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Sep. 2024

But the agreement imploded after a judge questioned unusual aspects of it, and he was subsequently indicted in the two cases. —Deepa Bharath, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2024

Irvin was indicted on one felony charge of cocaine possession and one misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession after a March 1996 arrest at a Dallas hotel. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier indite, from Middle English inditen, from Anglo-French enditer to write, point out, indict — more at indite

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

And who put it there, anyway?

Kids Definition

indict

verb

in·​dict in-ˈdīt 

: to charge with an offense or crime : accuse

indictable

-ə-bəl

adjective

Legal Definition

indict

transitive verb

in·​dict in-ˈdīt 

: to charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a grand jury in due form of law compare accuse, arraign, charge

Etymology

alteration of earlier indite, from Anglo-French enditer, from Old French, to write down, ultimately from Latin indicere to proclaim, from in- toward + dicere to say