accusation

B2 Topic:Communication

US /ək.jʊˈze.ʃən/ UK /ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/ See IPA manual

Freq #9930

Meanings

1

noun
A statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal.

He strongly denied the accusation that he had lied.
2

noun
A formal charge that someone has committed a crime, brought in a court of law.

The accusation against her was read out in court.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a statement that someone... charge allegation

2 noun · a formal charge that... accusal

More assertion censure crimination detection impeachment

Word family

Forms accusations

Derived forms counteraccusationhackusationinteraccusationmisaccusationpreaccusationreaccusation

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

unjust accusation
An allegation that unfairly blames someone for wrongdoing.

Adjective + noun

Etymology

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.

accusacion Middle English acusacion Old French accūsātiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication Register & Style

External links

# accusation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ək.jʊˈze.ʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
**Frequency rank:** 9930

## Meanings
1. A statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal.
2. A formal charge that someone has committed a crime, brought in a court of law.

## Examples
- He strongly denied the accusation that he had lied.
- The accusation against her was read out in court.

## Synonyms
- allegation
- assertion
- censure
- charge
- crimination
- detection
- impeachment

## Derived Forms
- counteraccusation
- hackusation
- interaccusation
- misaccusation
- preaccusation
- reaccusation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: accusacion
- Root: acusacion
- Root: accūsātiō

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Accusation is 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. Compare accuse. Equivalent to accuse plus -ation. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Communication
- Register & Style

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