ENGLISH
REFERENCE

indicted

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˌɪnˈdaɪtɪd// UK //ɪndˈaɪtɪd// in·dict·ed

adj. officially charged with a serious crime. When someone is in this state, they must go to court to face a judge or jury.

adj. formally accused of or charged with a serious crime by a grand jury or legal authority. Often used predicatively after a linking verb or as a participial modifier.


SIMPLE

The former mayor was indicted on several counts of fraud.

CONTEXTUAL

After a lengthy investigation into the company's finances, the CEO was indicted for tax evasion and money laundering.

COMPLEX

Although the senator was indicted by the grand jury, he maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming the charges were politically motivated and lacked substantive evidence.

Synonyms
Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'on' (for specific charges) or 'for' (for the crime itself).

Pitfall

The police indicted the thief for shoplifting.The grand jury indicted the official for corruption.Indict is reserved for formal, serious legal accusations by a grand jury or high authority, not for routine police arrests or minor offenses.

© 2026 English Reference