impeachment

C2+ Topic:Law & Government

US /ɪmˈpitʃmənt/ UK /ɪmˈpiːtʃmənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the formal charging of a public official with misconduct

The committee voted to begin impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the formal charging of a... indictment arraignment accusation charge censureincrimination

Opposites

acquittal exoneration vindication

Word family

Related forms impeachimpeachable

Etymology

From impeach (from Old French empeechier, 'to hinder, impede', from Late Latin impedicare, 'to entangle', from in- + pedica 'fetter', from pes 'foot') + the noun suffix -ment.

impedicare Latin pes Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# impeachment

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpitʃmənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpiːtʃmənt/

## Meanings
1. the formal charging of a public official with misconduct

## Examples
- The committee voted to begin impeachment proceedings against the governor.

## Synonyms
- indictment
- arraignment
- accusation
- charge
- censure
- incrimination

## Antonyms
- acquittal
- exoneration
- vindication

## Related Forms
- impeach
- impeachable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: impedicare
- Root: pes

## Etymology
From impeach (from Old French empeechier, 'to hinder, impede', from Late Latin impedicare, 'to entangle', from in- + pedica 'fetter', from pes 'foot') + the noun suffix -ment.

## AI Etymology
Impeachment comes from impeach (from Old French empeechier, 'to hinder, impede', from Late Latin impedicare, 'to entangle', from in- + pedica 'fetter', from pes 'foot') + the noun suffix -ment. The etymological trail includes Latin impedicare and Latin pes. As a noun, impeachment means the formal charging of a public official with misconduct. The same family is visible in related forms such as impeach and impeachable. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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