indictment

[in-dahyt-muh nt] /ɪnˈdaɪt mənt/

noun

Law. a formal accusation initiating a criminal case, presented by a grand jury and usually required for felonies and other serious crimes.

any charge, accusation, serious criticism, or cause for blame.

the state of being indicted.

Origin

1275-1325; indict + -ment; replacing Middle English enditement < Anglo-French (see indite)

Related forms

nonindictment, noun

reindictment, noun

superindictment, noun

Examples from the web for indictment

Such a stark indictment would surely draw reaction from the government and oil companies.
The indictment against the large unwanted family is written in human woe.
Official and spiritual acts, prayers and preferments, are all mingled in the indictment.
They claim that these individual cases of journalistic misconduct add up to an indictment of the whole business.
Generally, a indictment would eliminate a contractor from consideration.
It is an implied indictment of spending anything on volcano monitoring.
Four weeks of nearly continuous tracking provided the basis of an indictment and subsequent conviction for drug trafficking.
Even after an indictment, proceedings could be slowed by mental-health issues.
All in all the series was a pretty powerful indictment of fat moral apathy and expediency.
Sure, it's possible to have someone so mercenary, but not likely and surely not an indictment of a whole system of employment.

British Dictionary definitions for indictment

indictment

/ɪnˈdaɪtmənt/

noun (criminal law)

a formal written charge of crime formerly referred to and presented on oath by a grand jury

any formal accusation of crime

(Scot) a charge of crime brought at the instance of the Lord Advocate

the act of indicting or the state of being indicted

Word Origin and History for indictment

c.1300, endytement "action of accusing," from Anglo-French enditement, from enditer (see indict). Meaning "legal document containing a charge" is from c.1500. Latin spelling restored 17c.

indictment in Culture

indictment [(in-deyet-muhnt)]

A formal accusation of a crime, presented to the accused party after the charges have been considered by a grand jury.