accusation
gb/ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/ us/ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
B2
English
~ 7000
vád, vádolás, vádpont
NOUN
B2
1
vád
B2
Usage pattern:
an accusation of [wrongdoing] (against [someone])
She strongly denied the accusation that she had stolen the money.
Határozottan tagadta azt a vádat, hogy ellopta a pénzt.
The company faced accusations of cheating customers.
A céget azzal vádolták, hogy becsapja a vásárlóit.
His career was damaged by a false accusation of harassment.
The article made serious accusations against the local police.
After the accusations, an independent investigation was launched.
Learner examples
He made an accusation that his neighbor broke his window.
Azzal vádolta meg a szomszédját, hogy betörte az ablakát.
The teacher listened to the accusation before speaking to the student.
A tanár meghallgatta a vádat, mielőtt beszélt volna a diákkal.
Many people did not believe the accusation against the famous actor.
She cried because the accusation was not true.
The newspaper printed an accusation of corruption against the mayor.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "accusation" with "excuse". An "accusation" says someone did something bad; an "excuse" explains why someone did something. Also, the common prepositions are "an accusation of [something]" and "an accusation against [someone]", not *"accusation on" or *"accusation to".
Meaning
claim that someone did wrong
Collocations
make an accusation
|face accusations
|deny the accusation
|false accusation
|serious accusation
|accusation of corruption
Synonyms
allegation (Often used in news and legal contexts; slightly more formal and neutral in tone.)
Antonyms
exoneration (Refers to an official or clear statement that someone is not guilty, removing earlier accusations.)
Themes
law
|conflict
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A statement that says a person did something bad or broke the law, even if it may not be true.
A statement that says someone has done something wrong or illegal, whether or not it is true.
NOUN
B2
2
vádolás
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is open to/subject to accusation
His actions left him open to accusation from both sides.
A tettei miatt kitette magát annak, hogy mindkét oldalról vádolják.
They spoke freely to avoid any accusation of hiding information.
Nyíltan beszéltek, hogy elkerüljék azt a vádat, hogy információkat titkolnak el.
The committee wanted to be above accusation of political bias.
She helped both teams to protect herself from accusation of favoritism.
Strict rules were introduced to prevent any accusation of unfair treatment.
Learner examples
The manager worked with both groups to avoid accusation of bias.
A vezető mindkét csoporttal együtt dolgozott, hogy elkerülje a részrehajlás vádját.
He kept all the emails as proof, in case of accusation later.
Megőrizte az összes e-mailt bizonyítékként arra az esetre, ha később megvádolnák.
The judge must be free from any accusation of corruption.
They invited parents to the meeting to stop accusation of secrecy.
She shared the money equally to protect herself from accusation.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "accusation" only for legal crimes. It can also describe social or moral blame, as in "accusation of favoritism" or "accusation of lying," even when no law is broken.
Meaning
the act of accusing someone
Collocations
fear of accusation
|subject to accusation
|open to accusation
|free from accusation
Synonyms
blame (More general and common in everyday speech; may be less formal and not always about serious wrongdoing.)
Antonyms
defense (A defense is what someone presents to protect themselves from an accusation or blame.)
Themes
conflict
|social
|law
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The act of saying that a person is to blame for something bad.
The act or process of saying that someone is responsible for a fault, crime, or problem.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
a criminal accusation of [crime] against [someone]
The minister resigned following criminal accusations of bribery.
A miniszter lemondott, miután büntetőjogi vádak merültek fel ellene vesztegetés miatt.
Prosecutors are still investigating the accusations before filing formal charges.
Az ügyészek még vizsgálják a vádakat, mielőtt hivatalos vádat emelnének.
The court dismissed the accusations due to lack of evidence.
Several executives are facing accusations of accounting fraud.
The lawyer argued that the accusations were politically motivated.
Learner examples
The police are checking the criminal accusation against the businessman.
A rendőrség vizsgálja az üzletember elleni büntetőjogi vádat.
He lost his job after an accusation of fraud.
Csalás vádja miatt elvesztette az állását.
The judge said the accusation was not proven.
Her lawyer worked hard to answer every accusation.
All the accusations were dropped after the trial.
Common mistake:
Learners may use "accusation" and "charge" as exact synonyms. In legal news, "charge" is often used for the official legal step, while "accusation" can be wider, including public or media claims before formal charges.
Meaning
formal claim of a crime
Collocations
criminal accusation
|accusation of fraud
|serious criminal accusations
|investigate the accusations
|drop the accusations
Synonyms
charge (More strongly associated with formal legal procedure; often used specifically in court or police contexts.)
Antonyms
acquittal (An acquittal is an official decision in court that rejects the accusation and finds the person not guilty.)
Themes
law
|government
|crime
|communication
Definition
An official statement in law or government that says a person did a crime or very bad act.
A formal statement or claim, especially in a legal or official context, that someone has committed a crime or serious offense.
Grammar
Dictionary form
accusation
IPA
GB/ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
US/ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
ac - cus - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: accusation
- Plural: accusation, accusations
Word family
Forms
accusations
noun
Core family
Related words
accusingly
adverb
Expressions
deny the accusation
2/dɪnˈaɪ ðə ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
say the accusation is untrue
to say that what someone is accusing you of is not true
Examples
- The singer denied the accusation in a post on social media.
- Both companies strongly denied the accusations of price-fixing.
- He calmly denied the accusation and asked for proof.
false accusation
3/fˈɔls ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
untrue claim of wrongdoing
an accusation that is not true or not based on facts
Examples
- He sued the newspaper over what he said were false accusations.
- A false accusation can seriously damage a person's reputation.
- She later apologized for making a false accusation against her colleague.
level an accusation
5/lˈɛvəl ən ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
direct an accusation at someone
to say that someone did something bad, especially in a public or strong way
Examples
- Opposition leaders leveled accusations of corruption at the government.
- He leveled a serious accusation against his former business partner.
- Critics have leveled accusations of unfairness at the new policy.
make an accusation
1/mˈeɪk ən ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
say someone did something wrong
to say that a person did something bad or illegal
Examples
- Before you make an accusation, be sure you have some evidence.
- Several employees made an accusation of discrimination against their manager.
- He refused to make an accusation without seeing the full report.
serious accusation
4/sˈɪɹiəs ˌækjuzˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
very important or grave accusation
an accusation about something very bad, that can have big results if it is true
Examples
- That is a serious accusation to make without clear evidence.
- The report contains serious accusations against the company.
- Journalists must be careful when repeating serious accusations.