incriminate

1 of 2

verb

in·​crim·​i·​nate in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt 

incriminated; incriminating

transitive verb

: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault

statements that incriminate them

incrimination

in-ˌkri-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

incriminatory

in-ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē 

-ˈkrim-nə-

adjective

incrimination

2 of 2

noun

in·​crim·​i·​na·​tion (ˌ)inˌkriməˈnāshən 

ənˌk-

: the act of incriminating or the state of being incriminated

Did you know?

Testimony may incriminate a suspect by placing him at the scene of a crime, and incriminating evidence is the kind that strongly links him to it. But the word doesn't always refer to an actual crime. We can say, for instance, that a virus has been incriminated as the cause of a type of cancer, or that video games have been incriminated in the decline in study skills among young people.

Synonyms of incriminate

Verb

• accuse
• indict

Examples of incriminate in a Sentence

Verb

Material found at the crime scene incriminates the defendant.

in exchange for a reduced sentence, the thief agreed to incriminate his accomplice

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The film will follow Freddie, a fixer to Hollywood’s supernatural elite, a man with an almost magical gift for making incriminating things disappear. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Britt contention that Moscowitz’s did not pursue a subpoena for Isa Abdus-Sabur — which would have forced him to show up to court but not necessarily to incriminate himself — is the basis for her ineffective counsel claims. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2026

The threat of being charged by the federal government can lead witnesses to negotiate agreements with prosecutors to share evidence or testimony used to incriminate others in exchange for immunity or lighter punishments. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Lam walked to the rear of his Miami rental home and threw his cellphone from the dock into Biscayne Bay in an attempt to destroy incriminating evidence, prosecutors say. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Late Latin incriminatus, past participle of incriminare, from Latin in- + crimin-, crimen crime

Noun

Late Latin incrimination-, incriminatio, from incriminatus + Latin -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1736, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incriminate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

incriminate

verb

in·​crim·​i·​nate in-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt 

incriminated; incriminating

1

: to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or fault : accuse

2

: to cause to appear guilty of or responsible for something

evidence that tends to incriminate the defendant

incrimination

(ˌ)in-ˌkrim-ə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

incriminatory

in-ˈkrim-(ə-)nə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Legal Definition

incriminate

transitive verb

in·​crim·​i·​nate in-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt 

incriminated; incriminating

1

: to charge with involvement in a crime

he was incriminated in the conspiracy

2

: to suggest or show involvement of in a crime

among the evidence that incriminated him was a box of trigger devices

see also self-incrimination

incrimination

in-ˌkri-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

incriminatory

in-ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌtōr-ē 

adjective