What does accuse mean?
To accuse is to assert that someone has committed a wrongdoing or offense, whether a crime, a breach of trust, or a lesser fault. The verb most naturally appears in the construction "accuse someone of something," as in "He was accused of lying under oath." Its register is generally serious and formal-adjacent: accusing implies a substantive claim of culpability, distinguishing it from milder words like "blame," which may attach responsibility without alleging moral failure. In legal settings, an accused person has been formally charged, though accusation itself confers no presumption of guilt. The word descends from Latin accusare, built on causa, meaning a lawsuit or cause — the same root behind "because" and "excuse." Its enduring usefulness lies in naming a pivotal social act: the moment one person publicly holds another responsible for a transgression, setting in motion judgment, defense, and, potentially, justice.
verbTo charge someone with an offense, wrongdoing, or fault; to assert that a person has committed a crime or done something wrong.
- To formally charge someone with a crime or offense.
- To blame or allege that a person has done something wrong, whether or not legal action is involved.
"The police accused him of stealing the documents."
"She was accused of embezzling funds from the company over a period of three years."
"'You're always accusing me of not listening,' he said, hurt by the remark."
When you accuse someone, you're literally 'calling their cause' into court — the word traces straight back to the Latin causa, the root that also gave us 'because.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accuse
Accuse comes from Latin accusare, formed from ad- (toward) plus causa, the Latin term for a lawsuit, cause, or reason. It entered Middle English in the medieval period through Old French acuser. It shares its root with a family of English words including cause, because, excuse, and recuse, all ultimately deriving from Latin causa. The core sense — calling someone to answer for an offense before a court or tribunal — has remained remarkably stable across its long history in English.
Related word forms
How accuse is actually used
"Accuse" typically takes the pattern "accuse someone of something." It carries a serious connotation, implying a claim of wrongdoing rather than mere criticism; lighter blame is more often expressed with "blame" or "fault." In legal contexts it often implies formal charging, though being accused does not imply guilt.