Wiktionary

arraign

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English arreinen, from Old French araisnier (“to address, to verify”) (whence modern French arraisonner (“to verify cargo, to arraign”)), from raison (“reason”).

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

arraign (third-person singular simple present arraigns, present participle arraigning, simple past and past participle arraigned)

  1. To officially charge someone in a court of law.
    He was arraigned in Washington, D.C., on the 25th of that month on charges of treason.
    • 2023 March 30, Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich, William K. Rashbaum, Kate Christobek, Nate Schweber, “Trump Is Indicted, Becoming First Ex-President to Face Criminal Charges”, in The New York Times‎[1], →ISSN:
      He will then be arraigned, at which point the specific charges will be unsealed.
  2. To call to account, or accuse, before the bar of reason, taste, or any other tribunal.
    • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
      They will not dare to arraign you for want of knowledge.
    • 1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, →OCLC:
      It is not arrogance, but timidity, of which the Christian body should now be arraigned by the world.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

arraign (plural arraigns)

  1. Arraignment.

References edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=arraign&oldid=79490219"