accuse

1 of 2

verb

ac·​cuse ə-ˈkyüz How to pronounce accuse (audio)
accused; accusing
Synonyms of accuse

transitive verb

1
: to charge with a fault or offense : blame
He accused her of being disloyal.
2
: to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process
He was accused of murder.

intransitive verb

: to bring an accusation
accuser
ə-ˈkyü-zər How to pronounce accuse (audio)
noun

accuser

2 of 2

noun

ac·​cus·​er ə-ˈkyü-zər How to pronounce accuser (audio)
plural -s
: one that accuses
specifically : one that formally accuses another of a crime

Synonyms of accuse

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Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of accuse in a Sentence

Verb she was accused of lying on the employment application
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Opposition activists have accused Venezuela's government of blocking Machado's return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 California officials have countered that the list is unverified and includes the names of lawful voters, despite recent charges announced by DOJ of roughly 28 individuals from the list accused of voting and immigration-related crimes. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking Machado’s return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities. — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Lula accused the Bolsonaro family of aligning itself with US interests at Brazil’s expense, while Flávio rejected the charge and criticized Lula’s foreign policy. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accuse

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English acusen, accusen, borrowed from Anglo-French accuser, acuser, borrowed from Latin accūsāre "to blame, censure, charge with a crime," from ad- ad- + -cūsāre, verbal derivative of causa "legal case, reason, cause" — more at cause entry 1

Noun

Middle English accusour, acusere, borrowed from Anglo-French accusour, from accuser "to accuse entry 1" + -our -or entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accuse was in the 13th century

Rhymes for accuse

See All Rhymes for accuse

Browse Nearby Words

accusatrix
accuse
accused
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accuse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

accuse

verb
ac·​cuse ə-ˈkyüz How to pronounce accuse (audio)
accused; accusing
: to blame for wrongdoing : to charge with a fault and especially with a crime
accuser noun
accusingly
-ˈkyü-ziŋ-lē How to pronounce accuse (audio)
adverb

Legal Definition

accuse

verb
ac·​cuse
accused; accusing

transitive verb

: to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process compare indict

intransitive verb

: to make or bring an accusation
accuser noun
Etymology

Verb

Latin accusare to find fault with, charge with a crime, from ad to, at + causa legal case, trial

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