accusation

noun

ac·cu·sa·tion | \ ˌa-kyə-ˈzā-shən

, -(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

His government faced accusations of human rights abuses with critics jailed and free press stifled. — Yomi Kazeem, Quartz Africa, "Robert Mugabe has died leaving behind a conflicted legacy," 6 Sep. 2019 Kelly has faced accusations of abuse, manipulation and inappropriate encounters with girls and young women for more than two decades. — Omar Jimenez And Doug Criss, CNN, "R. Kelly's trial date on sexual misconduct charges is set for April," 5 Sep. 2019 In the past, Connecticut lawsuits have targeted the Boy Scouts of America for not knowing about abuses or arrests of scout leaders or allowing those facing accusations to take leadership roles despite knowing about the allegations. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "Three Connecticut men plan to use New Jersey law to sue Boy Scouts of America for decades-old sexual abuse," 30 Aug. 2019 In a June article, HuffPost noted that the retailer faced similar accusations in 2017 when a video of black shoppers accusing a white store associate of racial profiling went viral. — Jessica Schiffer, Teen Vogue, "Inside SephoraNoir, A Dedicated Resource Group for Black Sephora Employees," 29 Aug. 2019 Adebisi Okuneye, 23, and Leopold Hauser, 22, face third-degree assault accusations in the alleged attack, court records show. — oregonlive.com, "Man in MAGA hat clashed with different Portland bar crowd before his alleged assault, video shows," 27 Aug. 2019 Likewise, investigators probably explored whether Walton has ever faced similar accusations or if Tennant’s claims are unique. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Examining Every Aspect of the Luke Walton Investigation and Considering Next Steps," 27 Aug. 2019 Qutoutiao has also faced accusations of copyright infringement. — Echo Huang, Quartz, "Here are your four apps to understand China’s grassroots consumers," 21 Aug. 2019 The counterclaim, filed last week, also includes an accusation that Mayor Sandy Stimpson and City Attorney Ricardo Wood violated the very mediation process that has kept the dispute out of public view for more than half a year. — al, "Mobile council files counterclaim to Stimpson lawsuit," 22 Aug. 2019

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

13 Sep 2019

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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