indictment

Noun

indictment (countable and uncountable, plural indictments)

1. An official formal accusation for a criminal offence, or the process by which it is brought to a jury.
   • But she accomplished the third task — the one that mattered most to her boss — securing a criminal indictment against Mr. Comey, the former F.B.I. director.2025 September 27, “Inside the Trump Administration’s Push to Prosecute James Comey”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC
2. The official legal document outlining the charges concerned; bill of indictment.
   • […]— the indictment will remain sealed until his expected arraignment on Tuesday, when the charges will be formally revealed.2023 March 30, William K. Rashbaum, “This is what will happen when Trump is arrested in the coming days.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
3. An accusation of wrongdoing; a criticism or condemnation.
   • Can there be a greater indictment against patriotism than that it will thus brand a man a criminal, throw him into prison, and rob him of the results of fifteen years of faithful service?1910, Emma Goldman, “Patriotism: A Menace to Liberty”, in Anarchism and Other Essays
   • I must say Humphrey, these facts are a frightening indictment of bureaucratic sloppiness and self-indulgence.1980 March 10, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “The Economy Drive”, in Yes, Minister, season 1, episode 3, spoken by Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington)
4. Evidence of failure or poor performance.
   • an indictment of his ability to lead
   • an indictment of his game