What does "accuse" mean?

1. (to blame for a crime) to say officially that someone has committed a crime. 2. (to find fault with) to say that someone is responsible for something bad or dishonest.

How do you use "accuse"?

Follows the pattern: accuse + someone + of + something.

Is it correct to say "The police accused him for the theft."?

No — say "The police accused him of the theft.". Always use the preposition 'of' after the person being accused.

accuse

US //əkˈjuz// UK //ɐkjˈuːz// ac·cuse

1 to blame for a crime (v.)
B1 Intermediate Law

to say officially that someone has committed a crime.

to charge someone with a specific criminal offence or legal violation.

Example

The police accused the man of stealing a car from the car park.

Example

The prosecutor formally accused the defendant of conspiracy to commit fraud, citing several encrypted messages as primary evidence.

Usage

Follows the pattern: accuse + someone + of + something.
- charge
- indict
- acquit
- exonerate
Pitfall

The police accused him for the theft.

The police accused him of the theft.

Always use the preposition 'of' after the person being accused.
2 to find fault with (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to say that someone is responsible for something bad or dishonest.

to attribute a moral fault, social error, or personal failure to someone.

Example

She accused her brother of eating the last piece of cake.

Example

Critics accused the director of being overly sentimental in the final act of the film, arguing it undermined the previous tension.
- praise
- defend

Origin

First attested around 1300. From Middle English acusen, from Old French acuser, from Latin accūsō (“to call to account, accuse”), from ad (“to”) + causa (“cause, lawsuit, reason”). Akin to cause. Displaced native English bewray.