Accusations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Claims that suggest someone has acted improperly or unlawfully
2. Assertions that indicate blame or wrongdoing attributed to an individual or entity
3. Statements that allege someone has committed a fault or illegal act

Etymology: The plural "accusations" is simply the form of "accusation," so the interesting story sits in the base noun. "Accusation" was first recorded in English in the late 14th century, arriving through Old French "acusacion" from the Latin "accūsātiō," meaning an accusation or formal indictment. That Latin noun grew from "accūsō," "to blame," which is also the source of the English verb "accuse." Beneath the Latin lies a legal sense that the modern word still carries. In Roman courts, an accusation was a formal charge brought against someone, so its original territory was the courtroom rather than everyday gossip or complaint. The English word kept that formal weight: an accusation is a charge put into words, whether or not it is ever proven. The ending "-ation" marks the word as a noun of action, turning the verb "accuse" into the act or statement of accusing. "Accuse" and "accusation" are therefore a verb and its matching noun, built from the same root.

Synonyms: charges, allegations, claims

Antonyms: defenses