What does arraigning mean?
Arraigning is the act of formally summoning a person before a court to answer criminal charges. It is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'arraign,' a term rooted in medieval legal procedure. In modern usage, arraigning describes what a judge, magistrate, or prosecutor does at the start of criminal proceedings: reading the charges against a defendant, who must then plead guilty or not guilty. The word carries an unmistakably formal, legal connotation and appears almost exclusively in court reporting, legal writing, and discussions of justice systems. Figuratively, it can suggest subjecting someone to severe public scrutiny or condemnation, as when critics say a person was 'arraigned' by the press or by public opinion. Understanding arraigning offers insight into the vocabulary of criminal law and into English words that preserve the drama of being called to account.
Present participle of 'arraign': to formally summon a defendant before a court to answer criminal charges.
"The judge is arraigning three suspects this afternoon."
Used in progressive tenses; strictly formal and legal in register.
As a gerund, the act or process of arraigning a person before a legal authority.
"Arraigning detainees individually took the court several days."
Less common than the participle form; typically found in legal or journalistic prose.
When you arraign someone, you're literally calling them to account — the word traces back to Latin 'ad rationem', meaning 'to bring to reason.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arraigning
Arraigning derives from the verb 'arraign,' which entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman French 'araisnier,' meaning to call to account or reckon. The French term descends from the Latin phrase 'ad rationem' — 'to reason' or 'to bring to account' — combining the prefix 'ad-' (to, toward) with 'ratio' (reckoning, reason). This same Latin root gives English the words 'reason,' 'rational,' and 'rationale,' making them distant cousins of arraigning. The word has carried its legal sense of formally charging a defendant since medieval times.
Related word forms
How arraigning is actually used
Formal register, used almost exclusively in legal and journalistic contexts. As a present participle it appears in progressive constructions ('is arraigning'); as a gerund it functions as a noun of action. Rarely used outside descriptions of judicial proceedings.
Easily confused with arraigning
'Arraignment' is the noun naming the formal proceeding itself, while 'arraigning' is the verb form describing the act of conducting it.