indict

Meaning

1. To accuse of wrongdoing; charge.
2. To make a formal accusation or indictment for a crime against (a party) by the findings of a jury, especially a grand jury.

Synonyms

accuse

charge

blame

arraign

sue

prosecute

criticize

judge

🧑‍⚖️

incriminate

denounce

complain

impeach

tell on

allege

lodge a complaint

level at

charge-sheet

level against

protest about

adjudicate

attach

charge with

claim

fault

inculpate

inform on

panel

recriminate

reproach

charge with a crime

try

go to court

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌɪnˈdaɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: enditen

Cognate with Latin: indicere

In summary

From Middle English enditen, endyten (“to accuse”), from Old French enditer (“to dictate, indite”), from Late Latin indictāre, frequentative of Latin indicere (“to proclaim”), from in- + dicere (“to say”), or from in- + dictāre (“to say often, to dictate”). Doublet of indite.
The irregular spelling is due to the word having been borrowed into Middle English from Old French, and not from Latin as was the case with most other descendants of dictāre (but see dight). The borrowed /iː/ regularly shifted to /aɪ/ in the course of the Great Vowel Shift; the ⟨c⟩ represents a later attempt at graphic Latinisation.