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murder indictment

murder indictment

1 8.4
A formal charge that says someone killed another person
  • noun
  • /ˈmɜrdər ɪnˈdaɪtmənt/
translation icon : acusación de asesinato
  • The prosecutor announced that they would file a murder indictment against the individual based on new evidence.
  • murder indictment returned

Examples

  • In November 2015, a grand jury issued a murder indictment against the suspect following weeks of investigation.

  • You know, to get a murder indictment on two White men in Mississippi is not easy.

  • Yeah, you know, the place where they get murder indictments?

  • I don't think We're gonna get a murder indictment unless he confesses.

  • After deliberating for several hours, the jury returned a murder indictment, marking a significant step in the case.

Synonyms

indictment
vsmurder indictment
  • Formal
271 7.8

A formal charge of a crime or a strong statement that criticizes someone

is focused on a specific legal killing accusation not broad criticism
murder charge
vsmurder indictment
54 4.7

A formal claim in court that someone killed another person

is a specifically formal legal accusation rather than a general official claim
bill of indictment
vsmurder indictment
  • Formal
1 8.6

A written charge by a government lawyer saying someone committed a crime

is the legal accusation itself rather than the prosecutorial document

How Official

conviction
  • Formal
282 4.3
murder indictment
1 8.4
charge
  • Formal
6.0
accusation
394 3.1
allegation
  • Literature
579 4.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

murder + indictment

The phrase is a straightforward compound of 'murder' (an unlawful killing) and 'indictment' (a formal charge), so its meaning 'a formal charge of murder' is directly derivable from the constituents. This noun+noun legal naming pattern is common cross-linguistically, making it immediately comprehensible to a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

The legal term murder indictment comes from old court practice when officials would publicly name a person for the crime of murder, and that naming was called an indictment. So, a murder indictment today is a 'formal charge' that someone is accused of killing another person.