WorldAugust 17, 2026

indictable

in-DITE-uh-bul

Definition

Describes a serious criminal offense that is severe enough to be tried in a higher court, usually before a judge and jury.

Etymology

Derived from the Anglo-French 'enditer', meaning to accuse or write down, which itself comes from the Latin 'indictare' (to proclaim or declare). It entered English in the 15th century to describe the formal legal process of charging someone with a crime.

In the news

In the article, the term describes serious breaches of supervisory or exclusion orders, signaling that these offenses carry severe legal consequences beyond minor administrative penalties.

Key changes under the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Act 2026

Read the full article ↗

Holding Redlich

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.