indictment

noun

in·​dict·​ment in-ˈdīt-mənt How to pronounce indictment (audio)
1
: a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a jury (such as a grand jury) charging a person with an offense
2
a
: the action or the legal process of indicting
b
: the state of being indicted
3
: an expression of strong disapproval
an indictment of government policy on immigrants

Examples of indictment in a Sentence

The grand jury has handed down indictments against several mobsters. No one was surprised by her indictment. She intended the film to be an indictment of the media.
Recent Examples on the Web Michelle Miller: What does this indictment say about Monica Sementilli? Michelle Miller, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 The indictment unsealed Friday alleged that one of those jobs was with Thurston’s company and paid her $77,000 per year. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 The indictment alleges that Chinese national Linwei Ding, who was hired by Google in 2019, stole over 500 confidential files from the company containing AI trade secrets starting in May 2022 until May 2023. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 The indictment says Ding traveled to China and participated in investor meetings at the company and sought to raise capital for it. Eric Tucker, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 According to the indictment, Murillo and Hernandez had allegedly wired money to people connected with the drug trafficking ring, and registered vehicles that were used in the operation. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Follow Election 2024 According to an indictment filed March 5 in federal court in San Francisco, Ding was hired by Google as a software engineer in 2019 and worked on the company’s supercomputing data centers. Eva Dou, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Anyone with information about the individuals is encouraged to the Metropolitan Police Department, who is offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and indictment of the people responsible for the crime. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 After a two-week trial, a jury in Brooklyn found Martin, 36, guilty on all counts of an indictment charging him with murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identify theft and fraudulent use of identification. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indictment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of indictment was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near indictment

Cite this Entry

“Indictment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indictment. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

indictment

noun
in·​dict·​ment in-ˈdīt-mənt How to pronounce indictment (audio)
1
: the act or process of indicting
2
: an official written statement charging a person with a crime

Legal Definition

indictment

noun
in·​dict·​ment in-ˈdīt-mənt How to pronounce indictment (audio)
1
: the action or the legal process of indicting
2
a
: a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a grand jury that charges a person or persons with an offense compare complaint, information
b
: bill of indictment at bill 3b

More from Merriam-Webster on indictment

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