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

Special Counsel David Weiss brought the gun charges in September, when Hunter Biden became the first child of a sitting president to be indicted. —Tom Hals, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

Scott Finkbeiner, the sheriff of Hot Spring County who was indicted on federal charges of obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony last November, was arrested again Wednesday on new charges. —Daniel McFadin, arkansasonline.com, 12 Apr. 2024

On April 9, it was revealed that a former assistant principal in Virginia, who allegedly did not heed warnings that a 6-year-old boy had brought a gun to school, had been indicted on charges of child abuse and neglect after that boy shot a teacher in 2023. —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024

The special grand jury indicted Parker in March on eight counts of child abuse in the incident, possibly the first time a school administrator has been criminally charged in a school shooting, experts say. —Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

Roychowdhury, 30, was arrested in March 2023 and indicted by a grand jury the following month. —Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024

The area south of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, is controlled by Sergio Valenzuela, a Sinaloa Cartel plaza boss who was indicted in 2021 and remains a fugitive. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024

Trump has been indicted in three other criminal cases. —Sarah D. Wire, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

He was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of manslaughter in January and pleaded not guilty. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 9 Apr. 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