Definition of accuse
accused
;accusing
transitive verb
1 : to charge with a fault or offense : blame He accused her of being disloyal.
2 : to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process He was accused of murder.
intransitive verb
: to bring an accusation
From the M-W Editors
Examples of accuse in a Sentence
she was accused of lying on the employment application
Recent Examples of accuse from the Web
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There are campaigns to put redistricting reform on the ballot in Michigan, Missouri and Ohio, and lawsuits are in progress from North Carolina to Maryland (where Democrats are accused of outrageous gerrymandering).
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The White House had previously condemned Assad and just three months ago Trump launched dozens of airstrikes against a Syrian air base after the United States accused the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons on its own people.
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Earlier this year, President Trump took to Twitter to accuse former President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower, and followed up those claims by requesting an investigation.
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Rose is less than a year removed from saying horrifying things while standing accused of rape.
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The commission is already facing seven lawsuits that accuse its members, including Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, of efforts at voter suppression.
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The announcement upset its former director, Ron Sparks, who accused the new governor of playing politics.
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A Thai army general was one of the most prominent figures found guilty Wednesday in a major human trafficking trial that included more than 103 defendants accused of involvement in a modern-day slavery trade.
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Campaigns can pay for legal fees incurred by the candidate, staff or even outside consultants if they are accused of violating federal election laws or regulations.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of accuse
Middle English, from Anglo-French accuser, from Latin accusare to call to account, from ad- + causa lawsuit
Other Legal Terms
ACCUSE Defined for English Language Learners
accuse
playDefinition of accuse for English Language Learners
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: to blame (someone) for something wrong or illegal : to say that someone is guilty of a fault or crime
ACCUSE Defined for Kids
accuse
playDefinition of accuse for Students
accused
;accusing
: to blame for something wrong or illegal She accused him of stealing.
accuser
nounLaw Dictionary
accuse
Legal Definition of accuse
accused
accusing
transitive verb
intransitive verb
accuser
nounOrigin and Etymology of accuse
Latin accusare to find fault with, charge with a crime, from ad to, at + causa legal case, trial
Learn More about accuse
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See words that rhyme with accuse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accuse Spanish Central: Translation of accuse Nglish: Translation of accuse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of accuse for Arabic speakers
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