accusation

noun

ac·cu·sa·tion | \ ˌa-kyə-ˈzā-shən

How to pronounce accusation (audio)

, -(ˌ)kyü-\

Definition of accusation

1 : a charge of wrongdoing The evidence confirms the accusations made against him. She denied the accusation.

2 : the act of accusing someone : the state or fact of being accused

Examples of accusation in a Sentence

Investigators have made accusations of corruption against a group of former officials. The police are investigating serious accusations of wrongdoing. He denied the accusation that he had lied to the police. There was a hint of accusation in his voice when he asked her where she had been.

Recent Examples on the Web

Levitt found 35 total credible accusations between 2000 and 2014, constituting a few hundred ballots at most. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "There’s election fraud in North Carolina. That’s not the same thing as voter fraud.," 11 Dec. 2018 The military denied the accusations, saying its assistance in carrying out the elections was requested by Pakistan’s Election Commission. — Zaheer Babar, BostonGlobe.com, "132 people die in election violence ahead of Sharif’s return," 13 July 2018 Bottoms through a spokesman said that the accusations are false. — Stephen Deere, ajc, "Atlanta mayor’s campaign paid firm registered to election official," 9 July 2018 Hoffman and fiancée Monika Caryk have denied the accusations. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Roberto Luongo says Mike Hoffman will 'fit right in' with Panthers after trade," 20 June 2018 The accusations were the first in a series of scandals that led to Greitens’ resignation and Parson's becoming Missouri’s 57th governor. — Jason Hancock, kansascity, "Who has the ear of Gov. Mike Parson? Meet his inner circle," 20 June 2018 January 2019Mallory and Bland make an appearance on The View to discuss the accusations against the organization. — Julyssa Lopez, Glamour, "A Timeline of the Women's March Controversy," 18 Jan. 2019 The latest biography of Queen Anne confirms some of Sarah's accusations against Abigail. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The True Ending of The Favourite: In Real Life, Lady Marlborough Got the Last Laugh," 5 Jan. 2019 Sorvino was among the first women to come forward with accusations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Mira Sorvino: A Casting Director Gagged Me With A Condom When I Was 16," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accusation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

15 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for accusation

The first known use of accusation was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for accusation

accusation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of accusation

: a claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal : a charge that someone has committed a fault or crime

See the full definition for accusation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

accusation

noun

ac·cu·sa·tion | \ ˌa-kyə-ˈzā-shən

\

Kids Definition of accusation

: a claim that someone has done something bad or illegal

accusation

noun

ac·cu·sa·tion | \ ˌa-kyə-ˈzā-shən

\

Legal Definition of accusation

1 : a formal charge of wrongdoing, delinquency, or fault the accused shall enjoy the right…to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation — U.S. Constitution amend. VI — compare allegation, indictment, information

2 : the offense or fault of which one is accused the accusation was murder

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