indictment
noun
in·dict·ment
in-ˈdīt-mənt 
plural indictments
1
: a formal written statement prepared by a prosecuting authority charging a person with a crime and returned by a jury (such as a grand jury) upon finding that sufficient evidence to support it was presented
The state filed a one-hundred-count indictment against him that included murder, drug trafficking, prostitution, arson, and scores of other crimes.—
Sidney Sheldon
Sidney SheldonThe grand jury handed up Indictment No. 2 on November 19, 1998.—US v. Barnes, 251 F. 3d 251 (Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit 2001)
US v. Barnes, 251 F. 3d 251 (Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit 2001)If a district attorney takes or agrees to take from any person money … and an indictment is handed down or a presentment is made to this effect, the district attorney shall be disqualified from further discharging his or her official duties until a trial is had upon the indictment or presentment.—Official Code of Georgia Annotated, section 15-18-26 (2022)
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, section 15-18-26 (2022)2
a
: the action or the legal process of indicting
Felony cases are typically charged by indictment.
… reporters keen on finding out which City Hall figures were in danger of indictment …—Andy Logan
Andy LoganThe accused person, after indictment, is brought before the court. He may plead guilty or not guilty. If the plea is guilty, the judge sentences the person. If the plea is not guilty, a trial is held.—Stanley E. Dimond and Elmer F. Pflieger
Stanley E. Dimond and Elmer F. Pflieger
b
: the state of being indicted
He was frequently known to proceed with sales despite strong evidence that ownership of lots was in question—in one case a seller was under indictment for forgery and grand larceny.—Douglas C. McGill
Douglas C. McGill3
: an expression of strong disapproval
an indictment of government policy on immigrants
She intended the film to be an indictment of the media.
… the book is a stinging indictment of American political history …—Debra Rae Cohen
Debra Rae CohenExamples of indictment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His administration has pushed for the release of grand jury testimony linked to Epstein’s indictment, though a judge recently denied the request, which may never clear a number of legal hurdles needed to get the jury documents published.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
Over the past several years, federal prosecutors in Sacramento and Fresno have targeted the Aryan Brotherhood with indictments stemming from a massive Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
The handlers paid him in bitcoin and euros, the indictment said.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Those separate proceedings led to criminal indictments of them in 2019 and 2020, respectively, in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for indictment
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Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
Over the past several years, federal prosecutors in Sacramento and Fresno have targeted the Aryan Brotherhood with indictments stemming from a massive Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
The handlers paid him in bitcoin and euros, the indictment said.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Those separate proceedings led to criminal indictments of them in 2019 and 2020, respectively, in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for indictment
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Cite this Entry
“Indictment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indictment. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
indictment
noun
in·dict·ment
in-ˈdīt-mənt
1
: the act or process of indicting
2
: an official written statement charging a person with a crime
Legal Definition
indictment
noun
in·dict·ment
in-ˈdīt-mənt
1
: the action or the legal process of indicting
2
a
: a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a grand jury that charges a person or persons with an offense compare complaint, information
b
: bill of indictment at bill 3b
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