What does recriminating mean?
Recriminating means making accusations in return or behaving in a retaliatory, blame-seeking way. It is most often used of remarks, accusations, and exchanges in which one person defends themselves by attacking someone else. The word is typically associated with formal arguments, legal disputes, political conflict, and personal quarrels, carrying a somewhat literary or argumentative tone. As the present participle of recriminate, it can describe either the action or the attitude behind it: a recriminating letter answers an accusation with further accusations, while recriminating remarks create or prolong mutual hostility. The related noun recrimination is especially common in the phrase mutual recrimination, meaning an exchange in which both sides blame each other. Although related in appearance to incriminate, recriminating specifically concerns retaliation against an accuser rather than proving someone guilty of an offence.
Characterized by retaliatory accusation or blame.
"The two sides continued their recriminating claims long after the dispute had ended."
Commonly used before nouns such as “remarks,” “exchange,” and “accusations.”
To make retaliatory accusations against someone.
"Instead of answering the complaint, he recriminated by blaming his colleague."
Usually used as the present participle in a continuing or habitual action; the standard verb forms are recriminates and recriminated.
In a recriminating exchange, every answer becomes a fresh accusation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recriminating come from?
The word comes from Latin recriminari, meaning “to accuse in return,” formed with the prefix re- and criminari, “to accuse.” The latter derives from crimen, the Latin word for an accusation or offence and the source of English crime and criminal. English adopted the verb in the early modern period, with recrimination and recriminatory developing later as related noun and adjective forms.
Related word forms
How recriminating is actually used
The word chiefly occurs in formal or argumentative contexts and suggests hostility, defensiveness, or an escalating dispute. The related noun “recrimination” is often used for the practice or exchange of retaliatory accusations.
Easily confused with recriminating
To recriminate is to accuse someone in return, whereas to incriminate someone is to implicate them in wrongdoing.