Impeachment

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ.mənt/

Definitions

1. A legal procedure whereby a public official is accused of unlawful behavior, which can lead to their removal from duty
2. The act of formally charging a government official with misconduct, potentially resulting in their ousting from office
3. A formal process by which a public official is charged with serious misconduct, which can result in their dismissal from office or legal consequences

Etymology: The most surprising twist is that "impeachment" once meant simply getting stuck. Its ancestor, Old French "empechier," came from Late Latin "impedicare," meaning to catch or entangle, and it rests on "pedica," a fetter or shackle for the feet. So the word began as something physical, like a ship running aground or an animal caught in a snare, before it grew into a term for obstruction and then for legal accusation. English took the word in the Middle Ages in the form "empechement," meaning hindrance or obstacle, and it also picked up the sense of a legal charge. The English verb "impeach" was formed from the same Old French stock, and the noun was then built from it with the suffix "-ment," which turns verbs into nouns of action or result. The political sense came to the fore because English lawyers and writers used "impeach" for bringing a formal charge against a public official. In Latin, the verb "impetere" meant to assail or attack, and the English word came to stand in for that sense when charging officials with misconduct.

Synonyms: removal, discharge, dismission

Antonyms: appointment, confirmation