What does arraign mean?
To arraign is to formally summon a person before a court to face criminal charges — the moment when charges are read aloud and the accused is asked to respond. It is a precise legal term, most often encountered in phrases such as 'arraigned on charges of fraud' or 'arraigned before a magistrate,' and it typically marks the opening step of a criminal prosecution rather than the trial itself. Beyond the courtroom, arraign carries a figurative sense: to denounce or condemn someone vehemently, as when editorialists arraign a politician's conduct. The word carries a weighty, accusatory connotation in either use. It derives from the Old French araisnier, 'to call to account,' itself rooted in the Latin ratio, meaning 'reason' — making it a distant relative of words like 'reason' and 'rational.' Its noun form, arraignment, refers to the formal proceeding in which the charges are presented.
verbTo call or bring someone before a court to answer a criminal charge; more broadly, to accuse or condemn someone forcefully.
- To bring an accused person before a court to hear and answer formal criminal charges.
- To accuse or denounce someone severely, especially in public or writing.
"The suspect was arraigned before the magistrate on charges of fraud."
"The defendant was arraigned on two counts of embezzlement and pleaded not guilty."
"Editorial writers arraigned the governor for his handling of the crisis."
When you arraign someone, you're literally dragging their 'reasoning' into court — the word traces back to the same Latin root as 'reason.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arraign
Arraign comes from the Old French verb araisnier, meaning 'to call to account' or 'to interrogate,' formed from the Latin phrase adrationare, built on ratio ('reason' or 'reckoning'). The underlying image is that of calling someone to give an account of themselves — to answer for their actions with reasons. English adopted the word in the medieval period through Anglo-Norman legal usage, which is why it remains firmly tied to courtroom procedure today. It shares this Latin root with 'reason,' 'rational,' and 'ration.'
Related word forms
How arraign is actually used
Formal register, used almost exclusively in legal contexts in its primary sense; the figurative sense of harshly condemning someone appears mainly in journalism and literary prose.
Easily confused with arraign
Arrange means to put things in order or plan something, while arraign means to formally charge someone with a crime in court.