to criminate
- verb
- /ˈkrɪmɪneɪt/
- Archaic
:
incriminar
- The evidence presented in court clearly criminates the defendant in the robbery case.
Examples
-
Everything that criminates their side cannot come from our lawyer.
-
And this criminates...?
-
That criminates the shit out of Teena, yes!
-
Witness testimony can often criminate someone if they were present at the crime scene.
-
The documents he found may criminate his colleague in the financial fraud investigation.
Synonyms
∞
2.7
Say that someone did something wrong or illegal
933
4.2
Officially accuse someone of a crime
237
8.0
To officially accuse someone of a serious crime in court
50
7.4
To make someone seem guilty of a crime by showing proof against them
1
9.3
To accuse someone in public of a fault or failure
1
9.9
To say someone is guilty of a crime
Antonyms
How Strongly
354
6.1
- Formal
237
8.0
- Formal
933
4.2
- Archaic
- Literature
497
5.3
∞
1.6
136
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
criminate = crime (semi-transparent) = crimin + ate
The connection to 'crime' is clear, but the transformation to a verb meaning 'to accuse' is not a standard derivation for all learners.
Etymology
Criminate comes from the Latin root crimen, which means 'charge' or 'accusation' and is the same root in crime and criminal. So, to criminate someone is to accuse or charge them, especially in a legal or formal way.