Other forms: accusations
An accusation is a charge that somebody has done wrong. A serious accusation, deny the accusation, throw accusations about.
It is a claim rather than a finding, which is the distinction everybody forgets in a scandal. In law the accused is entitled to know the accusation in enough detail to answer it, which is an ancient principle.
1nounaccusationA charge that somebody has done wrong.
“She denied the accusation that she had stolen money from the till.”
accusation is a charge.
Latin accusatio comes from accusare, to call to account, from ad plus causa, a case.
Latin
accūsātiō — accusation, indictment
Old French
acusacion
Middle English
accusacion
English, today
accusation
Built from
First attested in the late 14th century. Middle English accusacion, borrowed from Old French acusacion (French: accusation), from Latin accūsātiō (“accusation, indictment”), from accūsō (“blame, accuse”). a doublet of accusatio. More at accuse. Equivalent to accuse + -ation.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA