indict

[in-dahyt]

verb (used with object)

1. Law.,  (of a grand jury) to bring a formal accusation against (someone) as a means of bringing a case to trial after ascertaining that there is enough evidence.

   The grand jury indicted him for murder.

2. to charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; incriminate; condemn.

   He tends to indict everyone of plotting against him.

indict

/ ɪnˈdaɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to charge (a person) with crime, esp formally in writing; accuse

Other Word Forms

• indictee noun
• indicter noun
• indictor noun
• reindict verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of indict¹

First recorded in 1620–30; variant spelling (from Medieval Latin ) of indite

Word History and Origins

Origin of indict¹

C14: alteration of enditen to _indite

Example Sentences

“We only keep democracy alive, is all. Is it worth it? Well, ask the Cincinnati city council — a third of ‘em, indicted on bribery charges today thanks to our reporting.”

From Salon

This week, however, a grand jury reviewed the case and ultimately indicted Caravello on a felony count of assaulting a federal agent.

From Los Angeles Times

A federal grand jury in Santa Ana indicted Adrian Martinez, 20, on the charge of conspiracy to impede a federal officer, after he tried to intervene in an immigration arrest in June.

From Los Angeles Times

But the D.C. grand jury declined to indict — not once, not twice, but at least four times this month.

From Salon

The officers actions were initially found to be justified in each case, though prosecutors later revisited Mitchell’s death and indicted Matthew Concannon and Anthony Chavez on manslaughter charges.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accuse 
• charge 

When To Use

What does indict mean?

To indict someone is to officially charge them with a crime that will be the subject of a criminal trial.Indicting a suspect is the final step in the evidence-gathering process before a person is put on trial for a serious crime, especially a felony. The official announcement of this accusation is called an indictment. In the U.S., such indictments are presented by a grand jury—the group of people responsible for determining whether there is enough evidence of a crime for a suspect to be put on trial.Indict can also be used in a more general way, outside of a legal context, to mean to accuse or strongly criticize, or to reveal something as being deserving of criticism. The noun indictment can also be used in this more general sense.Example: The suspect has been indicted for armed robbery and will face trial next month.