▪ I. indict, v.1
(ɪnˈdaɪt)
Forms: α. 4–6 endyte, 4–7 endite, 6 endight (endict). β. 4–9 indite, 5 indyte, (6 indyght, 6–7 indight). γ. 7– indict.
[ME. endite-n, a. AF. endite-r to indict, charge, accuse, corresponds in form to OF. enditer, -ditier, -ditter, answering to a late L. type *indictāre, f. in- (in-2) + dictāre to say, declare, dictate. But the OF. verb is recorded only in the senses ‘make known, indicate, dictate, suggest, compose, write, instruct, inform, prompt, incite’ (Godef.), so that the history of the AF. and ME. word is not clear. A corresponding med.L. indictāre to indict, accuse, is cited by Du Cange only in English legal use, and seems to be merely the latinized form of the AF. and ME. verb, in accordance with which again the ME. endite has been altered to indite, and (since 1600) written indict, though the spoken word remains indite. See also indite v.
The sense of endite, indict, may have arisen from L. indīcĕre ‘to declare publicly’, taken as in It. indicere ‘to denounce’ (Florio); but it comes near to a sense of L. indicāre to indicate, ‘to give evidence against’; and it appears as if there had been, in late L. or Romanic, some confusion of the L. verbs indicāre, indīcĕre, indictāre: thus in It., Florio has ‘Indicare, to shew, to declare, to utter; also to endite and accuse, as Indicere’; ‘Ind{iacu}cere, to intimate, denounce, manifest, declare;..also to accuse, to appeach or detect’; ‘Indittare, to indite; also as Indicere’; ‘Indittore, an inditer, a denouncer; also an intimator’.]
I. 1. trans. To bring a charge against; to accuse (a person) for († of) a crime, as († for) a culprit, esp. by legal process.
| [1278 Rolls of Parlt. I. 4/2 Ceus ke sunt enditee par quatre hundredez. 1292 Britton i. v. §8 Il n'i deit estre, car mei endita [he ought not to be upon the jury, because he indicted me].] |
| α 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1340 What shul we sey of þys dytours..Þat for hate a trewman wyl endyte? 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xi. 307 Neyther is blamelees þe bisshop ne þe chapleyne, For her eyther is endited. 1393 Ibid. C. xvi. 119 Ferly me þynkeþ, Bote dowel endite ȝow, in die indicii. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. cxciii. 169 Els the man that ought it shold be falsely endyted of forest or of felonye. 1537 Wriothesley Chron. (1875) I. 62 Which too lordes were endighted of highe treason against the Kinge. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 111 You must withall endite guiltie of the same crime, the best and most approved..interpretours of elder age. 1610 G. Fletcher Christ's Vict. i. xxvi, Justice herself the plaintiffe to endite him. |
| β c 1440 Promp. Parv. 261/1 Indytyd be lawe, for trespace, indictatus. 1530 Palsgr. 590/2, I indyte a man by indytement. 1592 Warner Alb. Eng. viii. xl. (1612) 194 He being then indighted Was hardly found a Felon. 1593 Nashe 4 Lett. Confut. 6 Hold vp thy hand G. H. thou art heere indited for an incrocher. 1652 Ashmole Theat. Chem. 196 Thereof the People will the at Sessions indight. 1678 Trans. Crt. Spain 53 Your Majesty might have indited him, or received his Justifications. |
| γ a 1626 Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law (1636) 66 If he bee indicted of felony, or treason. 1640–4 in Rushw. Hist. Coll. iii. (1692) I. 59 William Coltman..did indict him at the Sessions at Newgate. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 110 ¶4 One of her Admirers who was indicted upon that very Head. a 1713 T. Ellwood Autobiog. (1885) 285 They indicted our friends as rioters. 1764 Burn Poor Laws 247 If a man be indicted for an assault. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 325 Let any one who will, indict him on the charge of loving base gains. |
2. To make (it) matter of indictment; to charge (a thing). rare.
| a 1670 Hacket Cent. Serm. (1675) 483 That their own infamy should be endited against them to after ages. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xxv, It is indited against Simon Glover..that he hath spoken irreverent discourses. |
Hence inˈdicted ppl. a.1, inˈdicting vbl. n.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 139/2 Endytyd, or indytyd for trespas, indicatus. Ibid. 140/1 Endytynge (K. indytinge) of trespace, indictacio. 1529 More Suppl. Soulys Wks. 290/2 The byshoppe of London was in a greate rage for endyghtynge of certayne curates of extorcyon and incontinencye. 1785 Crabbe Newspaper Wks. 1834 II. 124 Rector, doctor, and attorney pause..on..Indited roads and rates that still increase. |
▪ II. † inˈdict, v.2 Obs.
Also 7 erron. indight, indite.
[f. L. indict-, ppl. stem of indīcĕre to declare, proclaim, announce, appoint, f. in- (in-2) + dīcĕre to say, tell, declare, etc.: cf. addict, contradict, predict. In OF. endire, indire, pa. pple. in 16th c. indict (Godef.). which may have contributed to the formation of the Eng. word.]
1. To declare authoritatively, announce, proclaim. a. To proclaim (a public meeting), convoke or summon (a council, assembly).
| 1538 Epist. Hen. VIII (title-p.), The Kynges Hyghenes owght neyther to sende nor go to the Councill, indicted at Vincence. 1565 Harding in Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 584 To summon them to the Councel, which the Pope thought good to indict at Trent. 1639 Chas. I.'s Proclam. Scot. 2 We were pleased to cause indict a free generall assembly to be holden at Glasgow. 1648 Sir E. Nicholas Let. in Carte Ormonde (1735) III. 584 Cromwell..stays there to assist in perfecting the business of indighting a new Parliament. 1692 Washington tr. Milton's Def. Pop. viii. Wks. 1848 I. 165 The consuls used to indict a meeting of the senate. 1720 Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 535 The next Assembly is indited to May 11, 1721. |
b. To proclaim, announce, or ordain (a religious observance, esp. a solemn fast or festival); to fix or name (a day for a fast or festival).
| 1590 H. Barrow in Confer. iii. 55 You..solemnlie indict an Eaue, a day, on the one a fast, on the other a solemne feast. 1649 Bp. Hall Cases Consc. iv. vii. (1654) 357 In some solemne fasts indicted by the Church for some publique humiliation. 1662 Gunning Lent Fast 50 To break..the Lent indicted to Believers. 1702 C. Mather Magn. Chr. vii. App. (1852) 651 The pastor of the church there indicted a day for prayer with fasting. |
c. To declare or proclaim (peace or war).
| c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (Camden) 186 The Pope should indicte a general peace among all Christian princes. 1671 Evelyn Mem. (1857) III. 229 His Majesty's ministers being recalled from their respective ministries abroad, the war was fully indicted. |
¶ 2. To indicate: cf. indiction 6.
| 1653 R. Sanders Physiogn., Moles, etc. 31 [It] indicts to the native some kindes of strife. |
Hence † inˈdicted ppl. a.2
| 1685 Evelyn Mrs. Godolphin 173 (R. Suppl.) Upon indicted fast dayes, how extraordinary were her recesses and devotions on euery Friday. |
▪ III. indict
obs. erron. form of indite.