indictment

noun in·dict·ment \ in-ˈdīt-mənt \

Definition of indictment

1 a : the action or the legal process of indicting

b : the state of being indicted

2 : a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a jury (such as a grand jury) charging a person with an offense

3 : an expression of strong disapproval

an indictment of government policy on immigrants

See indictment defined for English-language learners

See indictment defined for kids

Examples of indictment in a Sentence

The grand jury has handed down indictments against several mobsters.
No one was surprised by her indictment.
She intended the film to be an indictment of the media.

Recent Examples of indictment from the Web

These indictments are the first to come out of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "What is Paul Manafort's Net Worth?," 30 Oct. 2017
Charges: 9 counts of the 12 total counts in the indictment.

— eileen reslen, Esquire, "A Full List of All the Charges Filed in Mueller’s Russia Probe," 30 Oct. 2017
Following the assault of Mr. Loeb, the defendants, along with Mr. Burke and others, allegedly tried to conceal Mr. Burke’s role in the incident and attempted to impede the probe, the indictment said.

— joseph de avila, WSJ, "Suffolk County D.A. Thomas Spota Indicted on Obstruction Charges," 25 Oct. 2017
The request, the indictment says, came from an unidentified coach at Louisville.

— mark zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Indictments expose 'dark underbelly of college basketball'," 26 Sep. 2017
An indictment of the president's former national security adviser and his son would scramble that dynamic.

— julia ainsley, NBC News, "Mueller Has Enough Evidence to Bring Charges in Flynn Investigation," 5 Nov. 2017
Seen in that light, President Trump’s February 2017 press conference is an indictment of his leadership.

— conor friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "Trump Didn't Tell the Truth About Russia," 3 Nov. 2017
Ian Kenyon, now an NFL Associate Editor at Bleacher Report, saw the Smith deal as an indictment of the status quo in roster building.

— robert klemko, SI.com, "Remembering What NFL Trade Grades and Pundit Reactions Are Worth," 2 Nov. 2017
Manafort and his associate Rick Gates were charged with conspiracy, money laundering and false statements about their political work on behalf of Ukrainians in an indictment that was also unsealed on Monday.

— greg farrell, Bloomberg.com, "Papadopoulos Claimed Trump Campaign Approved Russia Meeting," 1 Nov. 2017

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

First Known Use of indictment

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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indictment Synonyms

Synonyms

charge, complaint, count, rap;

Related Words

accusation, allegation, plea;

crimination;

counteraccusation, countercharge;

arraignment, impeachment;

implication, imputation, innuendo, insinuation;

censure, condemnation, denunciation;

incrimination, recrimination;

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

INDICTMENT Defined for English Language Learners

indictment

noun

Definition of indictment for English Language Learners

law : an official written statement charging a person with a crime
: the act of officially charging someone with a crime : the act of indicting someone
: an expression or statement of strong disapproval

Law Dictionary

indictment

noun in·dict·ment \ in-ˈdīt-mənt \

legal Definition of indictment

1 : the action or the legal process of indicting

2 a : a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a grand jury that charges a person or persons with an offense — compare complaint, information

b : bill of indictment at bill 3b