Etymology: < accuse v. Compare earlier accusation n., accusation n., accusement n., accusing n.The word was apparently re-formed in the late 20th cent.

Etymology: In Old English < classical Latin accūsāre (see below). In Middle English reinforced by or reborrowed < Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French acuser, Anglo-Norman and Middle French accuser (French accuser ) to charge (a person) with a fault, crime, or offence (10th cent. in Old French, earliest in a text showing Occitan influence), to charge (a person) with (a fault, crime, or offence) (1155), to blame (something) (1152), to betray, disclose (a fault, crime, or offence) (1173) and its etymon classical Latin accūsāre to blame, find fault with, to charge with a crime, to make (things) the substance of a charge, in post-classical Latin also to betray (13th cent. in a British source) < ac- ac- prefix + causa cause n.; compare causāre cause v.¹ Compare Old Occitan acuzar (14th cent.), Catalan acusar (13th cent.), Spanish acusar (a1207), Portuguese acusar (13th cent.), Italian accusare (11th cent.).The French and English forms with medial -cc- are influenced by the Latin form. In later use in sense 4 perhaps after the corresponding use of French accuser (see above). In quot. a1639 at sense 4 after Italian accusare to acknowledge (the receipt of a letter) (a1566 in accusare una lettera, a1698 in accusare la ricevuta; compare French †accuser la reception d'une lettre (1627)).