Dictionary

indictment en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈdaɪt.mənt/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

18th-century Latinized respelling of Middle English endytement (“action of accusing”), from Anglo-Norman enditement, from enditer, from Late Latin indictāre, from Latin indictus.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) An official formal accusation for a criminal offence, or the process by which it is brought to a jury.
   • But she accomplished the third task — the one that mattered most to her boss — securing a criminal indictment against Mr. Comey, the former F.B.I. director. 2025 September 27, “Inside the Trump Administration’s Push to Prosecute James Comey”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) The official legal document outlining the charges concerned; bill of indictment.
   • […]— the indictment will remain sealed until his expected arraignment on Tuesday, when the charges will be formally revealed. 2023 March 30, William K. Rashbaum, “This is what will happen when Trump is arrested in the coming days.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
3. (countable, uncountable) An accusation of wrongdoing; a criticism or condemnation.
   • I have been critical of the RDG in the past for merely being a cypher for government announcements, but the failure of its members to make a stand on this issue and not be complicit in the Government's subterfuge is a shocking indictment of their failure to protect the industry. 2023 July 26, Christian Wolmar, “Closing ticket offices to lead to 'catch-22' for passengers”, in RAIL, number 988, page 42:
   • Can there be a greater indictment against patriotism than that it will thus brand a man a criminal, throw him into prison, and rob him of the results of fifteen years of faithful service? 1910, Emma Goldman, “Patriotism: A Menace to Liberty”, in Anarchism and Other Essays:
   • I must say Humphrey, these facts are a frightening indictment of bureaucratic sloppiness and self-indulgence. 1980 March 10, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “The Economy Drive”, in Yes, Minister, season 1, episode 3, spoken by Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington):
4. (countable, uncountable) Evidence of failure or poor performance.
   • a stinging indictment of our prison system
   • an indictment of his ability to lead
   • an indictment of his game

Forms

Deriveds

nonindictment · postindictment

Hyponyms

preindictment · reindictment

Relateds

arraignment · pleading · plea · grand jury

Translations (67)

pdt Aunkloag (criminal accusation) · ms indikmen (criminal accusation) · no tilltale (criminal accusation) · tr suçlama (criminal accusation) · bg обвине́ние (criminal accusation) · es escrito de acusación (bill of indictment) · sk žaloba (bill of indictment) · da tiltale (criminal accusation) · pl akt oskarżenia (bill of indictment) · cmn 公訴 /公诉 (criminal accusation) · hu megvádolás (accusation) · fi syytekirjelmä (criminal accusation) · hu vád alá helyezés (criminal accusation) · cs obvinění (accusation) · fr mise en examen (criminal accusation) · fi syytös (accusation) · tr iddianame (bill of indictment) · ja 起訴 (criminal accusation) · hu vád (accusation) · cmn 起訴狀 /起诉状 (bill of indictment) · de Anklage (criminal accusation) · hu vádemelés (criminal accusation) · nl akte van beschuldiging (bill of indictment) · pl akt oskarżenia (criminal accusation) · hi अभियोग (criminal accusation) · de Beschuldigung (accusation) · ru обвине́ние (criminal accusation) · it atto d’accusa (bill of indictment) · hu gyanúsítás (accusation) · da anklage (criminal accusation) · cs obžaloba (criminal accusation) · cmn 起訴 /起诉 (criminal accusation) · de Anklageschrift (bill of indictment) · ko 기소 (criminal accusation) · scn accusa (criminal accusation) · hu vádolás (accusation) · pl oskarżenie (accusation) · ru обвини́тельный акт (criminal accusation) · tl sakdal (criminal accusation) · sk obžaloba (criminal accusation) · la crīmen (criminal accusation) · bg обвине́ние (accusation) · fi syyte (criminal accusation) · hu vádirat (bill of indictment) · sv anklagelse (accusation) · nl beschuldiging (accusation) · de Beweis für das Versagen (evidence of failure) · id dakwaan (criminal accusation) · sk obvinenie (accusation) · cmn 公訴書 /公诉书 (bill of indictment) · cy ditiad (criminal accusation) · bg обвини́телен акт (bill of indictment) · fo ákæra (criminal accusation) · es formulación de cargos (criminal accusation) · tr itham (criminal accusation) · pl oskarżenie (criminal accusation) · cmn 訴狀 /诉状 (bill of indictment) · pt indiciamento (criminal accusation) · cs žaloba (bill of indictment) · es acusación (accusation) · fr inculpation (criminal accusation) · fr acte d'accusation (bill of indictment) · fi syyte (accusation) · tr savca (bill of indictment) · ru обвине́ние (accusation) · mk обвинителен акт (criminal accusation) · nl beschuldiging (criminal accusation)