accused

accused — noun

1. the person or group of people who have been formally charged with a crime and ar

1.nounB2
Definition

the person or group of people who have been formally charged with a crime and are facing a trial in a court of law.

Example

The judge told the accused to stand before the court heard the final arguments.

the accused + singular verb (one person)

Gabriela held her breath as the jury announced that the accused was not guilty.

Common collocations
  • the accused person
  • the accused + verb
  • both accused
  • find the accused guilty / not guilty
  • the accused denies the charges
Synonyms
  • defendant

    the most common synonym, used in both criminal and civil cases

  • the person charged

    more descriptive, often used before the trial begins

  • suspect

    refers to someone believed guilty but not yet formally charged; less specific than 'accused'

Antonyms
  • accuser

    the person who claims someone has committed a crime

  • plaintiff

    the person who brings a case against another in a court of law

Grammar Patterns

the accused + singular verb (one person)

the accused + plural verb (multiple people)

Usage Note

Always used with the definite article 'the'. The verb can be singular or plural — use a singular verb when referring to one person and a plural verb when referring to multiple people.

Common Mistakes

The accused were set free.' (when referring to one defendant)
The accused was set free.
use a singular verb when only one person is on trial.
Accused has the right to a lawyer.
The accused has the right to a lawyer.
'the accused' must always include the definite article.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms refer to someone believed to have committed a crime, but they differ in legal precision. 'Defendant' is the formal legal term for anyone being sued or prosecuted in court, regardless of the crime — it covers both criminal and civil cases. 'Suspect' is used by police before formal charges are filed; it implies suspicion but not yet an official accusation. 'The accused' is more specific than 'suspect' (formal charges have been made) and overlaps closely with 'defendant' in criminal cases, though 'defendant' is also used in civil lawsuits where no crime is alleged. 'The person charged' is a descriptive phrase that makes the legal status explicit. In news reports, 'the accused' often appears before a conviction, while 'the defendant' remains the preferred term in legal documents.

defendant ↗suspect ↗the person charged

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the accused person
  • find the accused guilty
  • acquit the accused
  • rights of the accused

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Derived from the past participle of the verb 'accuse', which comes from the Latin 'accusare' meaning 'to call to account' (from 'ad-' meaning 'toward' and 'causa' meaning 'cause, lawsuit'). The noun use of 'the accused' as a legal term for someone formally charged with a crime dates back to the 16th century in English law.