/accuse-meaning-etymology

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: əkjuːz. 

-) Etymology: from Latin accusare “to call to account”; from ac- “to” + causa “cause, reason, account, a suit of law”.

-) Preterite tense: accused (əˈkjuːzd); preterite participle: accused.

-) Present participle: accusing. 

-) Documented since 1200.

-) Transitively: -) 1. To make the subject of an accusation; to render (someone) subject to a suit of law. Hence, to render (someone) subject to a blame; to declare (a person) as the committer of a fault or offense; to find fault with.

-) Synonyms for “accuse”: blame, censure, criminate, impeach, arraign, indict, denounce.

-) Antonyms of “accuse”: acquit, excuse, exculpate.

-) Translation: accuser, in French; acusar, in Spanish; accusare, in Italian.

Crispus received her addresses with detestation, and she, to be revenged, accused him to the emperor.

O. Goldsmith… The history of Rome… 1790

-) With the preposition “of” + a noun, or a gerund, by which the accusation is designated:

He accuses them of cowardice.

S. Williams… History of Vermont… 1809

Know, then, we are not ignorant that Damian de Lacy, accused of instigating and heading this insurrection, […] has found shelter under this roof.

Scott… The Betrothed… 1825

… you prove that the fraud he is accused of is atrocious.

J. Mill… A System of Logic… 1843

She went even so far as to accuse me, laughingly, of rashness -- of imprudence.

Poe… The Spectacles… 1844

Irascibility was his sole foible, for in fact the obstinacy of which men accused him was anything but his foible, since he justly considered it his forte.

Poe… X-ing… 1849

-) With the preposition “as” + a noun:

Mr. Jones was accused as the probable cause of this accident.

Caleb Snow… A History of Boston… 1828

-) With the preposition “to” + noun of the person who has authority to hear and try the cause:

They were well satisfied with the evidence, and forthwith accused him to the house of peers of high treason.

E. Clarendon… Rebellion… 1826

She accused them to Mrs. Benson of having purloined many articles of clothing.

Harper's New Monthly Magazine, vol. 11… 1855

-) Reflexively:

… she accused herself of imprudence.

L. Hawkins… Heraline… 1821

He did not accuse himself of acting wrong in his interview with Williams.

W. Dunlap… Memoirs… 1836

-) 2. It is metaphorical: (of something) to make known; to reveal.

-) Intransitively: to utter an accusation.

-) Other words derived from Latin causa, see CAUSAL.

-) Words derived from “accuse”: accusably, accusable, accusal, accusant, accusation, accusative, accusatorial, accusatorially, accusatory, accused, accuser, accusing, accusingly, unaccusable, unaccusably, unaccused.

 

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