Added 8 October 2026
accuse
/əˈkjuːz/ verb
In Latin: accūsō, crīminor First recorded: 1300 Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about accuse at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Bring an accusation against; level a charge against.
The neighbors accused the man of spousal abuse
-
Blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against.
he charged the director with indifference
Origin
First attested around 1300. From Middle English acusen, from Old French acuser, from Latin accūsō (“to call to account, accuse”), from ad (“to”) + causa (“cause, lawsuit, reason”). Akin to cause. Displaced native English bewray and Old English sċyldan.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)