Accuse

Accuse
Accuse Ac*cuse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Accused}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Accusing}.] [OF. acuser, F. accuser, L. accusare, to call to account, accuse; ad + causa cause, lawsuit. Cf. {Cause}.] 1. To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense; (Law) to charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; -- with of; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor. [1913 Webster]

Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. --Acts xxiv. 13. [1913 Webster]

We are accused of having persuaded Austria and Sardinia to lay down their arms. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

2. To charge with a fault; to blame; to censure. [1913 Webster]

Their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. --Rom. ii. 15. [1913 Webster]

3. To betray; to show. [R.] --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]

Syn: To charge; blame; censure; reproach; criminate; indict; impeach; arraign.

Usage: To {Accuse}, {Charge}, {Impeach}, {Arraign}. These words agree in bringing home to a person the imputation of wrongdoing. To accuse is a somewhat formal act, and is applied usually (though not exclusively) to crimes; as, to accuse of treason. Charge is the most generic. It may refer to a crime, a dereliction of duty, a fault, etc.; more commonly it refers to moral delinquencies; as, to charge with dishonesty or falsehood. To arraign is to bring (a person) before a tribunal for trial; as, to arraign one before a court or at the bar public opinion. To impeach is officially to charge with misbehavior in office; as, to impeach a minister of high crimes. Both impeach and arraign convey the idea of peculiar dignity or impressiveness. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • accusé — accusé, ée [ akyze ] n. • XIIIe; de accuser 1 ♦ Personne à qui on impute une faute, un délit (⇒aussi inculpé, prévenu). L accusé bénéficie jusqu au jugement de la présomption d innocence. Dr. Inculpé qu un arrêt de la Chambre d accusation a… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • accusé — accusé, ée (a ku zé, zée) 1°   Part. passé. Accusé d un crime. Accusé d aspirer au trône. •   Les vents, les mêmes vents si longtemps accusés Ne te couvriront pas de ses vaisseaux brisés ?, RAC. Iph. V, 4. •   Un homme, justement accusé d… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • accuse — ac·cuse vb ac·cused, ac·cus·ing [Latin accusare to find fault with, charge with a crime, from ad to, at + causa legal case, trial] vt: to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process compare indict vi: to make or bring an accusation… …   Law dictionary

  • accusé — Accusé, [accus]ée. part. Il a les significations de son verbe. Accusé de meurtre, de vol, &c. Il est quelquefois substantif. L Accusateur & l accusé. tout accusé n est pas coupable …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • accuse — accuse, charge, incriminate, indict, impeach, arraign denote in common to declare a person guilty of a fault or offense. Accuse is typically immediate and personal and often suggests directness or sharpness of imputation or censure; charge… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • accuse — [ə kyo͞oz′] vt. accused, accusing [ME acusen < OFr acuser < L accusare, to call to account < ad , to + causa, CAUSE] 1. to find at fault; blame 2. to bring formal charges against (of doing wrong, breaking the law, etc.) the accused Law… …   English World dictionary

  • accuse — UK US /əˈkjuːz/ verb [T] LAW ► to say that someone has done something wrong or illegal: accuse sb of (doing) sth »He is accused of misleading investors and lenders about the financial health of the company …   Financial and business terms

  • accuse — (v.) c.1300, charge (with an offense, etc.), impugn, blame, from O.Fr. acuser to accuse, indict, reproach, blame (13c.), earlier announce, report, disclose (12c.), or directly from L. accusare to call to account, from ad against (see AD (Cf. ad… …   Etymology dictionary

  • accuse — ► VERB (often accuse of) 1) charge with an offence or crime. 2) claim that (someone) has done (something wrong). DERIVATIVES accusatory adjective accuser noun. ORIGIN Latin accusare call to account , from causa reason, motive, lawsuit …   English terms dictionary

  • Accuse — Ac*cuse , n. Accusation. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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