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accusation

/ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/ noun

In Latin: accūsātiō First recorded: late 14th century Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about accusation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt.
  2. An assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence.
    the newspaper published charges that Jones was guilty of drunken driving

Origin

First attested in the late 14th century. Inherited from Middle English accusacion, borrowed from Old French acusacion (French: accusation), from Latin accūsātiō (“accusation, indictment”), from accūsō (“blame, accuse”). Doublet of accusatio. More at accuse. Equivalent to accuse + -ation.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)