To incriminateto make a person appear guilty of a crime or offense someone is to make them seem guiltyresponsible for doing something wrong or illegal, or to accuse them of a crime or wrongdoingbad, dishonest, or illegal behavior. It is often used in legal and formal contexts, and the exact meaning depends on the sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌɪnˈkrɪm.ə.neɪt/
Easy pronunciation: in-KRIM-uh-NATE (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the second syllable: KRIM.
Used in the sense of suggesting that someone is guilty; verb.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Incriminate Meaning
to make someone appear guilty
Part of speech: verb
Definition: suggest that someone is guilty
Example: The witness’s statement could incriminate the suspect.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- inculpate — A close formal synonym meaning to make someone seem guilty or blameworthy.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Incriminate
Meaning 2
to accuse someone formally or publicly
Part of speech: verb
Definition: bring an accusation against; level a charge against
Example: The prosecutor tried to incriminate the businessman with fraud charges.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- accuse — Works as a practical synonym in the sense of charging someone with wrongdoing.
- impeach — Can mean accuse in formal or legal contexts, though it is less common today.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Incriminate Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- inculpate
to accuse someone formally or publicly
- accuse
- impeach
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse incriminate with imply, which means to suggest indirectly.
- Do not use incriminate when you simply mean accuse unless the legal or blame-related sense is clearly intended.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does incriminate mean?
It means to suggest that someone is guilty, or to accuse them of a crime or wrongdoing.
What is a simple synonym for incriminate?
A close synonym is inculpate in the sense of making someone appear guilty. In the accusation sense, accuse can work.
Is incriminate always about legal trouble?
Not always, but it is most often used in legal, formal, or blame-related situations.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
