indictment

• endictment

18th-century Latinized respelling of Middle English endytement (“action of accusing”), from Anglo-Norman enditement, from enditer, from Late Latin indictāre, from Latin indictus.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdaɪt.mənt/

• Audio (US)

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indictment (countable and uncountable, plural indictments)

1. (law) An official formal accusation for a criminal offence, or the process by which it is brought to a jury. [from 14th c.]
2. (law) The official legal document outlining the charges concerned; bill of indictment. [from 16th c.]
   • 2023 March 30, William K. Rashbaum, “This is what will happen when Trump is arrested in the coming days.”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     […] — the indictment will remain sealed until his expected arraignment on Tuesday, when the charges will be formally revealed.

3. (countable, uncountable) An accusation of wrongdoing; a criticism or condemnation. [from 19th c.]
   • 1910, Emma Goldman, “Patriotism: A Menace to Liberty”, in Anarchism and Other Essays‎:

     Can there be a greater indictment against patriotism than that it will thus brand a man a criminal, throw him into prison, and rob him of the results of fifteen years of faithful service?

4. Evidence of failure or poor performance.

   an indictment of his ability to lead

   an indictment of his game

• arraignment
• grand jury
• plea, pleading

• indictment on Wikipedia.Wikipedia