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Definition of accuse

accuse

/əˈkjuːz/
ac · cuse
Adverb:accusingly
•
Adjective:accusatory
•
Past Simple:accused
•
Past Participle:accused
•
Present Participle:accusing
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accuse Lexical Profile

accuse Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To claim that someone has committed an offense, done something wrong, or been at fault.

Example

"The manager refused to accuse any employee of the mistake without reviewing the records first."

2

To charge someone formally with a crime or legal offense.

Example

"The prosecutor decided to accuse the suspect of fraud after gathering sufficient financial evidence."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for accuse
Antonyms
View all antonyms for accuse

Word Nuance & Usage

'Accuse' is almost always followed by the preposition 'of' when specifying the offense (e.g., 'accuse someone of lying'), whereas 'charge' takes 'with' and 'blame' takes 'for'.

• Rhymes for accuse

• Nearby Words

accusable
accusation
accusatory
accuse
accused
accuser
accusingly

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Old French 'acuser', from Latin 'accusare' ('to call to account'), formed from 'ad-' ('to') and 'causa' ('cause' or 'lawsuit').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Accuse. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/accuse
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