Accused

/əˈkjuzd/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A person who is charged with a crime in a court of law.

The accused stood nervously in front of the judge.

A person who is blamed for something, typically a wrongdoing.

She was the accused in a high-profile theft case.

verb

Past tense of accuse; to charge someone with an offense or wrongdoing.

He accused her of stealing his money.

To assert that someone has committed a crime or done something wrong.

They accused the corporation of environmental violations.

The word comes from the Latin 'accusatus' which means 'to blame or to charge'.

the accused

refers to a person who has been charged with a crime.

accused of a crime

means a person is formally charged with committing an illegal act.

innocent until proven guilty

refers to the legal principle that one is considered innocent unless proven guilty.

accusation

A charge that someone has done something illegal or wrong.

defendant

An individual accused in a court of law.

prosecution

The act of conducting legal proceedings against someone.

In hot water

After being caught cheating, he found himself in hot water with his teachers.

On the carpet

She was called on the carpet for her actions at the party.