Word Study
indictment
CIDE DICTIONARY
indictment, n. [Cf. Inditement.].
- The act of indicting, or the state of being indicted. [1913 Webster]
- The formal statement of an offense, as framed by the prosecuting authority of the State, and found by the grand jury. [1913 Webster]" To the validity of an indictment a finding by the grand jury is essential, while an information rests only on presentation by the prosecuting authority." [1913 Webster]
- An accusation in general; a formal accusation. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
indictment, n.
1 the act of indicting.
2 a a formal accusation. b a legal process in which this is made. c a document containing a charge.
3 something that serves to condemn or censure.
1 the act of indicting.
2 a a formal accusation. b a legal process in which this is made. c a document containing a charge.
3 something that serves to condemn or censure.
Etymology
ME f. AF enditement (as INDICT)
THESAURUS
indictment
accusal, accusation, accusing, allegation, allegement, anathema, arraignment, bail, bill of particulars, blame, bringing of charges, bringing to book, castigation, censure, charge, complaint, condemnation, count, damnation, decrial, delation, denouncement, denunciation, excoriation, flaying, fulmination, fustigation, impeachment, implication, imputation, information, innuendo, insinuation, lawsuit, laying of charges, pillorying, plaint, presentment, prosecution, reprehension, reproach, reprobation, skinning alive, stricture, suit, taxing, true bill, unspoken accusation, veiled accusationROGET THESAURUS
indictment
Lawsuit
N lawsuit, suit, action, cause, litigation, suit in law, dispute, citation, arraignment, prosecution, impeachment, accusation, presentment, true bill, indictment, apprehension, arrest, committal, imprisonment, writ, summons, subpoena, latitat, nisi prius, venire, venire facias pleadings, declaration, bill, claim, proces verbal, bill of right, information, corpus delicti, affidavit, state of facts, answer, reply, replication, plea, demurrer, rebutter, rejoinder, surrebutter, surrejoinder, suitor, party to a suit, plaintiff, defendant, litigant, hearing, trial, verdict, appeal, appeal motion, writ of error, certiorari, case, decision, precedent, decided case, reports (legal reference works, see reference books), litigious, qui tam, coram judice, sub judice, pendente lite, adhuc sub judice lis est, accedas ad curiam, transeat in exemplum.Accusation
N accusation, charge, imputation, slur, inculpation, exprobration, delation, crimination, incrimination, accrimination, recrimination, tu quoque argument, invective, denunciation, denouncement, libel, challenge, citation, arraignment, impeachment, appeachment, indictment, bill of indictment, true bill, lawsuit, condemnation, gravamen of a charge, head and front of one's offending, argumentum ad hominem, scandal, scandalum magnatum, accuser, prosecutor, plaintiff, relator, informer, appellant, accused, defendant, prisoner, perpetrator, panel, respondent, litigant, accusing, accusatory, accusative, imputative, denunciatory, recriminatory, criminatory, accused, suspected, under suspicion, under a cloud, under surveillance, in custody, in detention, in the lockup, in the watch house, in the house of detention, accusable, imputable, indefensible, inexcusable, unpardonable, unjustifiable, vicious, Int, look at home, tu quoque, the breath of accusation kills an innocent name, thou can'st not say I did it.For further exploring for "indictment" in Webster Dictionary Online