What does arraignment mean?
Arraignment is a noun referring to the formal judicial proceeding in which a person accused of a crime is brought before a court, told exactly what they are charged with, and asked to declare whether they plead guilty or not guilty. It marks the official starting point of many criminal cases: after arrest and initial booking, the defendant faces the judge at arraignment, where bail may also be set. The word derives from the verb 'arraign', which traces back through Old French to a root connected with accounting for oneself or giving reasons. Beyond the courtroom, arraignment carries a figurative sense: a pointed, public accusation or condemnation, as when a book is described as an arraignment of political corruption. Because it belongs chiefly to legal and formal register, it rarely appears in casual conversation, but it is essential vocabulary for following news coverage of trials and criminal justice.
A formal court proceeding at which a defendant is informed of the criminal charges against them and enters a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.
"The arraignment was scheduled for ten days after the indictment."
In US practice, arraignment usually follows indictment or information; in UK usage the term is current but the procedural details differ.
An act of accusing or denouncing someone or something forcefully, often publicly.
"The report stands as a damning arraignment of regulatory failure."
Figurative and literary; less common than the legal sense.
The plural is standard and refers either to multiple such proceedings or multiple instances of accusation.
"The courthouse handles dozens of arraignments each morning."
Every criminal case in America begins with this single word on a courtroom docket — miss your arraignment and you can be arrested on the spot.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arraignment
Arraignment comes from the verb 'arraign', which entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman French 'araisnier', itself derived from Vulgar Latin '*arationare', related to 'rationare', meaning to account for or explain — ultimately tied to Latin 'ratio' (reckoning, reason). The sense developed from calling someone to answer or give account, which fits precisely with the legal procedure of requiring a defendant to answer charges. Cognate ideas appear in words sharing the 'ratio/reason' lineage, such as 'reason' and 'rally'.
Related word forms
How arraignment is actually used
Primarily a formal legal term used in journalism, court reporting, and legal contexts. The figurative sense — a scathing criticism — appears mostly in literary or editorial writing. In US courts the arraignment typically includes entry of a plea and setting of bail; procedures vary somewhat between jurisdictions.
Easily confused with arraignment
An indictment is the formal document or act of charging someone with a serious crime by a grand jury, whereas arraignment is the court appearance at which those charges are formally read and the defendant enters a plea.
An arrangement is an organized plan or agreement; 'arraignment' is a legal proceeding — the words look and sound similar but are entirely unrelated in meaning.