Accusation
/ˌæk.jəˈzeɪ.ʃən/noun
A statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal.
Did you know?Accusation comes from Latin legal language tied to *ad-* plus *causa* (“cause, case”), so it originally meant bringing someone into a case or lawsuit, not just hurling blame.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷeh₂-
“to place, set, or make”
Latin
Latin
causa
“a cause, reason, legal case, or lawsuit”
Latin
Latin
accūsāre
“to call to account, denounce, or charge publicly”
Old French
Old French
accusacion
“an accusation or formal charge”
Middle English
English
accusacioun
“a formal charge or act of accusing”
Modern English
English
accusation
“a statement that someone has done wrong or illegal”