ACCUSATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does accusation mean? 

• ACCUSATION (noun)
  The noun ACCUSATION has 2 senses:

1. a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt

2. an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence

  Familiarity information: ACCUSATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACCUSATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

accusal; accusation

Hypernyms ("accusation" is a kind of...):

charge; complaint ((criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "accusation"):

self-accusation; self-condemnation (an admission that you have failed to do or be something you know you should do or be)

recrimination (mutual accusations)

allegation ((law) a formal accusation against somebody (often in a court of law))

blame game (accusations exchanged among people who refuse to accept sole responsibility for some undesirable event)

imprecation (a slanderous accusation)

imputation (a statement attributing something dishonest (especially a criminal offense))

indictment (an accusation of wrongdoing)

information (formal accusation of a crime)

preferment (the act of making accusations)

blame; incrimination; inculpation (an accusation that you are responsible for some lapse or misdeed)

implication (an accusation that brings into intimate and usually incriminating connection)

Derivation:

accusatorial (specifically indicating a form of prosecution in which one is publicly accused of and tried for a crime and in which the judge is not also the prosecutor)

accuse (bring an accusation against; level a charge against)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

accusation; charge

Context example:

the newspaper published charges that Jones was guilty of drunken driving

Hypernyms ("accusation" is a kind of...):

assertion; asseveration; averment (a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "accusation"):

countercharge (a charge brought by an accused person against the accuser)

Derivation:

accusatorial (specifically indicating a form of prosecution in which one is publicly accused of and tried for a crime and in which the judge is not also the prosecutor)

accuse (blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against)

 Context examples 

“Oh, what an accusation,” exclaimed Dora, opening her eyes wide; “to say that you ever saw me take gold watches! Oh!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Her heart was almost broke by such a picture of what she appeared to him; by such accusations, so heavy, so multiplied, so rising in dreadful gradation!

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

There was accusation in her manner, and I shrugged my shoulders in token that I was not guilty of the unknown crime imputed to me.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A statement (either spoken or written) that is made in reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation; a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem.

(Answer, NCI Thesaurus)

If Garcia could do whatever he had to do and be back by the hour mentioned he had evidently a powerful reply to any accusation.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A statement (either spoken or written) that is made in reply to a question, request, criticism, or accusation.

(Communication Response, NCI Thesaurus)

For, though your accusations were ill-founded, formed on mistaken premises, my behaviour to you at the time had merited the severest reproof.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

But at least, Mama, you cannot deny the absurdity of the accusation, though you may not think it intentionally ill-natured.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

You come to us now to share a misery which nothing can alleviate; yet your presence will, I hope, revive our father, who seems sinking under his misfortune; and your persuasions will induce poor Elizabeth to cease her vain and tormenting self-accusations.—Poor William! he was our darling and our pride!

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

I had no occasion of bribing, flattering, or pimping, to procure the favour of any great man, or of his minion; I wanted no fence against fraud or oppression: here was neither physician to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune; no informer to watch my words and actions, or forge accusations against me for hire: here were no gibers, censurers, backbiters, pickpockets, highwaymen, housebreakers, attorneys, bawds, buffoons, gamesters, politicians, wits, splenetics, tedious talkers, controvertists, ravishers, murderers, robbers, virtuosos; no leaders, or followers, of party and faction; no encouragers to vice, by seducement or examples; no dungeon, axes, gibbets, whipping-posts, or pillories; no cheating shopkeepers or mechanics; no pride, vanity, or affectation; no fops, bullies, drunkards, strolling whores, or poxes; no ranting, lewd, expensive wives; no stupid, proud pedants; no importunate, overbearing, quarrelsome, noisy, roaring, empty, conceited, swearing companions; no scoundrels raised from the dust upon the merit of their vices, or nobility thrown into it on account of their virtues; no lords, fiddlers, judges, or dancing-masters.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)