INCRIMINATE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does incriminate mean? 

• INCRIMINATE (verb)
  The verb INCRIMINATE has 2 senses:

1. suggest that someone is guilty

2. bring an accusation against; level a charge against

  Familiarity information: INCRIMINATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INCRIMINATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they incriminate    ... he / she / it incriminates   
Past simple: incriminated   
Past participle: incriminated   
-ing form: incriminating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Suggest that someone is guilty

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

imply; incriminate; inculpate

Hypernyms (to "incriminate" is one way to...):

evoke; paint a picture; suggest (call to mind)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

crime ((criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act)

crime (an evil act not necessarily punishable by law)

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

incriminatory (charging or suggestive of guilt or blame)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bring an accusation against; level a charge against

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accuse; criminate; impeach; incriminate

Context example:

The neighbors accused the man of spousal abuse

Hypernyms (to "incriminate" is one way to...):

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "incriminate"):

reproach; upbraid (express criticism towards)

arraign (accuse of a wrong or an inadequacy)

recriminate (return an accusation against someone or engage in mutual accusations; charge in return)

charge; file; lodge (file a formal charge against)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody of something

Sentence example:

They want to incriminate the prisoners

Derivation:

crime ((criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act)

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

 Context examples 

“He has left nothing to incriminate him. His dangerous correspondence has been destroyed or removed. This is our last chance.”

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

So cleverly was the colonel concealed that, even when the Moriarty gang was broken up, we could not incriminate him.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Because it incriminated him.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

One mistake had been made in not arresting Boone instantly, as he was allowed some few minutes during which he might have communicated with his friend the Lascar, but this fault was soon remedied, and he was seized and searched, without anything being found which could incriminate him.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We brought him along to the cells, and his box as well, for we thought there might be something incriminating; but, bar a big sharp knife such as most sailors have, we got nothing for our trouble.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)