the accused

noun

: the person(s) charged with a crime
The accused was found not guilty.
All of he accused were found not guilty.

Examples of the accused in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Defense attorneys have opposed any changes, saying that making the deadline longer risks violating the rights of the accused. Willoughby Mariano, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2025 Rule 15 did not always permit the government to take depositions of unavailable witnesses and originally was intended to aid the accused in preserving pretrial testimony to defend their case. Robert Anello, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 The criminal court is France’s highest level of court reserved for crimes carrying sentences of more than five years, if the accused is found guilty. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025 If someone, such as a university, is breaking the law, the rule of law is that the accused is charged, then tried by the courts, then if the accused is convicted, the court imposes a sentence according to the law violated. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the accused

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The accused.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20accused. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!