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
In this court, the accused — as a pre-trial intro helpfully informs us, invariably people who have committed the worst of crimes, mostly murder — have 90 minutes to use the Mercy system’s records to prove their innocence.
—
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
What if the accused had lived a good life, served in the military, had a terrible accident, and started behaving oddly before the crime, but no one stepped in to help?
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
Singer-songwriter Eric Nam’s professional experience came into play as the contestants argued over who to banish from the Scottish castle in a debate filled with sharp clapbacks from the accused.
—Anna Chan, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2026
Most of the accused have yet to respond publicly to the charges.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the accused
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Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
What if the accused had lived a good life, served in the military, had a terrible accident, and started behaving oddly before the crime, but no one stepped in to help?
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
Singer-songwriter Eric Nam’s professional experience came into play as the contestants argued over who to banish from the Scottish castle in a debate filled with sharp clapbacks from the accused.
—Anna Chan, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2026
Most of the accused have yet to respond publicly to the charges.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the accused
Cite this Entry
“The accused.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20accused. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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