accuse

verb

ac·​cuse ə-ˈkyüz How to pronounce accuse (audio)
accused; accusing
Synonyms of accusenext

transitive verb

1
: to charge with a fault or offense : blame
He accused her of being disloyal.
2
: to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process
He was accused of murder.

intransitive verb

: to bring an accusation
accuser
ə-ˈkyü-zər How to pronounce accuse (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of accuse in a Sentence

she was accused of lying on the employment application
Recent Examples on the Web Sometimes the Jews are accused of not having any power. —USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024 After all, we might be accused of the dreaded sin of laziness! —Susan Spencer, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accuse 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acusen, accusen, borrowed from Anglo-French accuser, acuser, borrowed from Latin accūsāre "to blame, censure, charge with a crime," from ad- ad- + -cūsāre, verbal derivative of causa "legal case, reason, cause" — more at cause entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of accuse was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near accuse

accusatrix

accuse

accused

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Accuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accuse. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

accuse

verb
ac·​cuse ə-ˈkyüz How to pronounce accuse (audio)
accused; accusing
: to blame for wrongdoing : to charge with a fault and especially with a crime
accuser noun
accusingly
-ˈkyü-ziŋ-lē How to pronounce accuse (audio)
adverb

Legal Definition

accuse

verb
ac·​cuse
accused; accusing

transitive verb

: to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process compare indict

intransitive verb

: to make or bring an accusation
accuser noun
Etymology

Latin accusare to find fault with, charge with a crime, from ad to, at + causa legal case, trial

More from Merriam-Webster on accuse

Nglish: Translation of accuse for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of accuse for Arabic Speakers

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