accusatory (akuzatori)

[L. acc us a to rius, IMG:content-0160.png:[blocks in formation] accuse (a-kūz'), v. t.; pret. and pp. accused, ppr. accusing. [ sure: as, to accuse one of high crimes, or as an accomplice in crime; to accuse nature for our misfortunes. Accuse not nature; she hath done her part. Milton , P. L., viii. 561. The accusing spirit, which flew up to heaven's chancery Sterne, Tristram Shandy, vii. 7. with the oath, blushed as he gave it in. Add is on . The profe ors are accused of the ill practices. The Romanists accuse the Protestants for their in differ- Southey, Quarterly Rev., I. 193. ence. 2. To indicate; evince; show; manifest; show signs of. [A Gallicism, now rare.] Am phial us answered with such excusing himself that more and more accused his love to Philoclea. Sir P. Sidney , Arcadia, ii. =Syn. 1. Accuse, Charge, Indict, Arraign, Impeach, Incriminate, criminate, inculpate, tax with, taunt with, impute to. Of these words charge is the most general, and may be the weakest, being used of any sort of imputation, large or small, against persons or things formally or informally, publicly or privately. Accuse commonly, though not invariably, expre es something more formal grave than charge. is a purely legal term, re stricted to the action of a grand jury when it makes a formal complaint against a supposed offender, in order that he may be brought to trial. Arraign has primarily the same meaning with indict, but is freer in figurative use: as, to arraign a political party at the bar of public sentiment. Impeach is to bring to answer before some legislative body for wrong-doing in a public office, and has been so long a ociated with the peculiar dignity, solemnity, and impre ivene of such trials that it has been lifted into corresponding importance in its figurative uses. criminate is obsolescent except in the special meaning of involving another with one's self: as, in his confe ion he incriminated several persons hitherto unsuspected. To charge with a fault; to accuse of dishonesty; to indict for felony and arraign before the court; to impeach a mag is trate or one's motives or veracity; to incriminate others with one's self in a confe ion of guilt. And from rebellion shall derive his name, Though of rebellion others he accuse . In Milton , P. L., xii. 37. Charging the Scripture with obscurity and imperfec Stilling fleet . tion. It is held that the power of impeachment extends only to such offenders as may afterward be indicted and punished according to law: that is, that the house can only impeach , the senate remove, for indictable offenses. IMG:content-0161.png:[blocks in formation]