noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/əˈɹeɪnmənt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:ER0 EY1 N M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The formal charging of a defendant with an offense; in many jurisdictions it includes their response in the form of a plea, typically as guilty, not guilty, or no contest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a legal document calling someone to court to answer an indictment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: legal document, legal instrument, official document, instrument
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English arraign Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English arraignment From arraign + -ment.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
aanklag
— charging of a defendant
Chinese Mandarin:
傳訊 /传讯
(chuánxùn)
— charging of a defendant
Dutch:
voorgeleiding
— charging of a defendant
Finnish:
syytteenluku
— charging of a defendant
French:
lecture de l'acte d'accusation
— charging of a defendant
German:
Anklage
— charging of a defendant
German:
Anklageverlesung
— charging of a defendant
Hungarian:
vádemelés
— charging of a defendant
Japanese:
罪状認否
(zaijō nimpi)
— charging of a defendant
Japanese:
アレインメント
(areinmento)
— charging of a defendant
Norwegian:
tiltale
— charging of a defendant
Portuguese:
processo
— charging of a defendant
Russian:
предъявле́ние обвине́ния
(predʺjavlénije obvinénija)
— charging of a defendant
Spanish:
acusación
— charging of a defendant
Spanish:
orden de comparecencia
— charging of a defendant
Swedish:
anklagelse
— charging of a defendant
Tagalog:
pagbasa ng sakdal
— charging of a defendant