arraigns
|a-raigns|
/əˈreɪn/
(arraign)
call before court / formally accuse
Etymology
'arraign' originates from Anglo-French/Anglo-Norman, specifically the word 'areiner' (also seen as 'areigner' in Old French), where the prefix 'a-' meant 'to' and the root related to a notion of calling or summoning.
'arraign' changed from Anglo-French/Old French 'areiner' (and Anglo-Norman forms) into Middle English forms such as 'arreyne, arraigne' and eventually became the modern English word 'arraign'.
Initially, it meant 'to call to account or summon to court,' and over time it narrowed to the legal sense of 'to formally charge or present (someone) before a court' which is its primary modern meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'arraign'. To call (someone) before a court to answer a criminal charge; to formally charge or accuse in a court of law.
The prosecutor arraigns the suspect on multiple counts of fraud.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/18 17:00