accusation
n.-
1 a claim of wrongdoing (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea statement saying that you believe someone has done something bad or illegal.
the act of blaming or a statement containing such blame; often used with the preposition 'of'.
ExampleHe denied the accusation that he had stolen the money from the office.
ExampleThe manager faced a serious accusation of professional misconduct after several employees reported his behavior to the board.
UsageCommonly follows the pattern 'accusation of' followed by a noun or gerund.
PitfallShe made an accusation about him for lying.She made an accusation of lying against him.The standard pattern is 'accusation of [action]' or 'accusation against [person]'.
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2 a formal legal charge (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Technical Lawa formal statement in a court of law that says someone is guilty of a crime.
a formal criminal charge brought against a defendant in a legal proceeding.
ExampleThe police dropped the accusation when they found new evidence.
ExampleThe prosecution struggled to provide sufficient evidence to support the accusation of fraud against the former executive.
UsageIn legal contexts, this refers specifically to the formal document or statement of charges.
Teacher's tipWhile 'accusation' is used in general English, 'indictment' or 'charge' is often more precise in a professional legal setting.
- acquittal
- exoneration
First attested in the late 14th century. Inherited from Middle English accusacion, borrowed from Old French acusacion (French: accusation), from Latin accūsātiō (“accusation, indictment”), from accūsō (“blame, accuse”). Doublet of accusatio. More at accuse. Equivalent to accuse + -ation.