indict
in-DYT
/ɪnˈdaɪt/
To formally accuse of or charge with a serious crime.
This is a specific legal step where a grand jury decides there is enough evidence for a trial.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'indictare', meaning 'to proclaim or announce'. The silent 'c' was added in the 1600s to make it look more like its Latin root, even though the pronunciation follows the French 'enditer'.
Word relationships
- charge: Charge is more general; indict is a specific formal process involving a grand jury.
- arraign: Arraign is the step after indictment, where the defendant enters a plea.
- exonerate: To exonerate is to clear someone of blame, the opposite of indicting them.
- acquit: To acquit is to find someone not guilty at the end of a trial.
Commonly confused with
- indicate: Indicate means to point out; indict means to charge with a crime. They sound very different!
Word family
- indictment (noun): A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.
Collocations
- indict for murder
- indict on charges
- formally indict
Example sentences
- "I do not know the method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people." Edmund Burke's famous speech on political responsibility.
- "The grand jury voted to indict the former mayor on charges of fraud." A news report on a corruption scandal.
Memory hook
It rhymes with 'In sight'. If the police have the criminal 'in sight', they will 'indict' them. Formally say they did it.
When not to use
Do not use 'indict' for casual accusations; use 'accuse' or 'blame' instead.
Fun facts
- The spelling 'indict' is one of the most confusing in English because the 'c' is never pronounced.
Related words
Also appears in
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