Definition

1. Noun:
   • A defendant in a criminal proceeding: The person formally charged with or on trial for a crime. This term specifically refers to the individual who must answer the criminal charges in a court of law.

Usage

• The word "accused" functions as a noun to identify the specific party in a legal case who is alleged to have committed a crime. It is often preceded by the definite article "the."
• Example:
• Example:

Examples

• Noun:
  • The judge asked the accused to enter a plea.
  • The lawyer for the accused argued that the evidence was circumstantial.
  • All the accused in the fraud case denied the charges.

Advanced Usage

• "The accused": This is the standard and most common usage, treating "accused" as a collective singular or plural noun referring to the defendant(s).
  • The accused was found not guilty. (Referring to one person)
  • The accused were all released on bail. (Referring to multiple people)

Variants and Related Words

• Accuse (verb): To charge someone with an offense or crime.
  • The prosecutor will accuse him of theft.
• Accusation (noun): A charge or claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
  • He denied the accusation.
• Accuser (noun): A person who claims that someone has committed an offense.
  • The accuser testified in court.

Synonyms

• Defendant: The party against whom a criminal charge is brought. (This is the most direct synonym in legal contexts.)
• Respondent: A party answering charges or appeals, more common in civil or appellate cases.

Notes on Usage

• In standard English, "the accused" is used rather than "an accused." It functions similarly to other collective legal nouns like "the deceased" or "the injured."
• The term is neutral and does not imply guilt; it is a procedural label used before a verdict is reached.

Noun

1. a defendant in a criminal proceeding