Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense arraigns, present participle arraigning, past tense, past participle arraigned
verb [usually passive]
If someone is arraigned on a particular charge, they are brought before a court of law to answer that charge.
[law]
She was arraigned today on charges of assault and kidnapping. [beVERB-ed]
He was arraigned for criminally abetting a traitor. [beV-ed for n/v-ing]
Synonyms: accuse, charge, prosecute, denounce More Synonyms of arraign
arraign in British English
(əˈreɪn)
verb(transitive)
1.
to bring (a prisoner) before a court to answer an indictment
2.
to call to account; complain about; accuse
Derived forms
arraigner (arˈraigner)
noun
arraignment (arˈraignment)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French araisnier to speak, accuse, from a-2 + raisnier, from Vulgar Latin ratiōnāre (unattested) to talk, argue, from Latin ratiō a reasoning
arraign in American English
(əˈreɪn)
verb transitive
1.
to bring before a law court to hear and answer charges
2.
to call to account; accuse
SIMILAR WORDS: acˈcuse
Derived forms
arraignment (arˈraignment)
noun
Word origin
ME arreinen < OFr araisnier < ML adrationare < L ad, to + ratio, reason
Examples of 'arraign' in a sentence
arraign
"And I say, call the proctors, arraign this man for treason.
Robert Silverberg VALENTINE PONTIFEX (2001)
(verb)
Definition
to accuse
He was arraigned for criminally abetting a traitor.
Synonyms
accuse
He accused me of being lazy.
charge
They have all the evidence required to charge him.
prosecute
The police have decided not to prosecute him.
denounce
Informers might at any moment denounce them to the authorities.
indict
She was later indicted on corruption charges.
impeach
an opposition move to impeach the President
incriminate
He claimed that the drugs had been planted to incriminate him.
call to account
take to task
Additional synonyms
in the sense of charge
Definition
to accuse (someone) formally of a crime in a court of law
They have all the evidence required to charge him.
Synonyms
accuse,
indict,
impeach,
incriminate,
arraign
in the sense of denounce
Definition
to give information against
Informers might at any moment denounce them to the authorities.
Synonyms
report,
expose,
betray,
accuse,
implicate,
inform on,
inculpate,
arraign,
point a or the finger at,
denunciate,
dob in (Australian, slang)
in the sense of impeach
Definition
to charge (a public official) with an offence committed in office