accuse
UK: əˈkjuːz | US: əˈkjuz
vt. to charge someone with an offense or crime
vt. to blame someone for wrongdoing
vt. to assert that someone is responsible for a fault or problem
accuse = ac<to, toward> + cuse<call, blame>
- ac (prefix): from Latin ad- ("to, toward"), assimilated to ac- before c.
- cuse (root): from Latin causari ("to blame, dispute"), derived from causa ("cause, reason").
Etymology Origin:
The word "accuse" entered English via Old French acuser, tracing back to Latin accusare ("to call to account"). The prefix ac- intensifies the root cuse (related to "cause"), originally meaning "to call someone to justify their actions." Over time, it narrowed to its modern legal and moral sense of assigning blame.
The prosecutor plans to accuse the defendant of fraud.
She angrily accused him of breaking his promise.
Critics accuse the government of ignoring climate change.
He was falsely accused of theft.
The article accuses corporations of exploiting workers.