Impeachers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To accuse or charge a public official with misconduct in office
2. To challenge the integrity or qualifications of an individual in a position of power
3. To initiate a formal process of removal against an elected official due to alleged wrongdoing

Etymology: The plural of "impeacher," one who brings a charge of misconduct against a public official. The agent ending "-er" came into English from Old English "-ere," which itself descends from Latin "-arius," a suffix used to form nouns naming a person connected with something. The stem "impeach" was borrowed from Old French "empecher," meaning to hinder or block, and it was the notion of being caught or obstructed that gave the verb its original sense. The "-er" ending traveled a long way. It passed from Latin "-arius" through Proto-Italic and Proto-Germanic forms, reaching Old English as "-ere," and then Middle English "-er," before settling as the regular English agent suffix found in countless words. Adding it to "impeach" produces a word for the person who performs the act of impeaching, and "impeachers" simply makes that plural.

Synonyms: accusers, prosecutors

Antonyms: defenders, advocates