indicted; indicting; indicts
1
transitive + intransitive
: to formally charge (someone) with a crime by the finding of a jury (such as a grand jury) : to formally accuse (someone) of a crime in an indictment
If either the IRS or the FBI decides a suspect has committed a crime, a lot of hurdles must be leaped before that individual is put in prison. The agents must gather evidence, persuade an independent prosecutor to present the evidence to a grand jury, make sure the evidence is convincing enough so that the grand jury will indict the suspect, and then present the evidence to a regular jury that decides whether the suspect is innocent or guilty.—David Burnham
Traditionally the grand jury consisted of 23 persons with the favorable vote of a majority needed to indict. Today, many states use a somewhat smaller grand jury (e.g., 12) and some require more than a simple majority to indict.—Wayne R. LaFave and Jerold H. Israel
2
transitive
: to accuse (someone or something) of a weakness, failing, or wrong action
… I indict those citizens whose easy consciences condone such wrongdoings.—Franklin D. Roosevelt
Past studies have indicted high radon levels for an excess of lung cancers among underground hard-rock miners …—J. Raloff
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Cite this Entry
“Indict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indict. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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