Definition of indictment
1a : the action or the legal process of indictingb : 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
From the M-W Editors
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
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In an indictment handed down last week, prosecutors said Blaszczak used his personal relationships with former colleagues at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to get advance knowledge of pending decisions.
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Erin's second word was arraign - which means to call a prisoner to court to answer charges of an indictment.
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Pardo is charged with flying a plane from Fort Lauderdale to Panama with $800,000 in drug profits on board, according to the 1988 drug indictment.
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Scientific sleuthing led to indictments and a program to replace some of Flint’s antiquated water-delivery system.
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The lawsuit comes nearly two years after an explosive indictment into secret hush-money payments brought down Hastert, a local coaching legend who became one of the country's most powerful politicians.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Robert Posey says in a news release that the Friday indictment charges 37-year-old Jennifer Cataldo, of Sterrett, with eight counts of wire fraud and seven counts of bank fraud.
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Chatterjee claimed to be president and chief executive officer of CS Management Inc. of Oakbrook Terrace, with Varma its chief financial officer, the indictment said.
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Landrieu's indictment gave immunity to nobody for the crimes against history these monuments represented.
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
Other Legal Terms
INDICTMENT Defined for English Language Learners
indictment
playDefinition of indictment for English Language Learners
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law : an official written statement charging a person with a crime
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: the act of officially charging someone with a crime : the act of indicting someone
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: an expression or statement of strong disapproval
Law Dictionary
indictment
playLegal Definition of indictment
1 : the action or the legal process of indicting
2a : 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
Learn More about indictment
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See words that rhyme with indictment Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for indictment Spanish Central: Translation of indictment Nglish: Translation of indictment for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of indictment for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about indictment
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