English Reference
Noun

accuser

n.
C1 Advanced US /əkˈjuzɝ/ UK /ɐkjˈuːzɐ/ ac·cus·er UK spelling accusers

n.a person who says that someone else has done something wrong or illegal. You use this word when someone is making a formal complaint against another person.

n.a person who makes a formal charge or accusation against another. Often used in legal or formal contexts to distinguish the complainant from the defendant.


SIMPLE

The accuser must provide evidence to support the claim.

CONTEXTUAL

The trial began with the accuser testifying about the events that occurred on the night of the incident.

COMPLEX

Legal scholars often debate whether the accuser should be protected from public scrutiny to ensure the integrity of the justice system remains intact.

He also claimed that his accusers were motivated by racism.

The Conversation· 21 Aug 2026

Some came forward when they saw Anaïs and other accusers in media reports.

BBC News· 19 Aug 2026

Inherited from Middle English acuser, accusour, borrowed from Old French accusour, from Latin accūsātor, from accūsāre. Equivalent to accuse + -er. Doublet of accusator.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin accūsātor
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated