arraignment
|ar-rain-ment|
/əˈreɪnmənt/
calling to account
Etymology
'arraignment' originates from Anglo-French/Old French, specifically the word 'areinement'/'areinment' meaning 'a calling to account', where the prefix or variant 'a-' corresponds to a form of Latin ad- meaning 'to' or 'toward' and the root is related to Old French verbs meaning 'to call' or 'to bring before a court'.
'arraignment' changed from Middle English forms such as 'arrainen'/'arraignen' (verb) and the derived noun forms in Anglo-French/Old French, and eventually became the modern English noun 'arraignment'.
Initially, it meant 'the act of calling someone to account or bringing them before a court'; over time this specialized into the legal sense 'the court procedure in which charges are read and a plea entered', while also acquiring a figurative sense of 'public calling to account'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a formal court proceeding in which a person is brought before a judge to hear the charges against them and to enter a plea.
The defendant's arraignment was delayed until the following week.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a public or formal calling to account; a severe criticism or denunciation (used figuratively).
The scandal led to the mayor's public arraignment in the press.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/18 16:32