MEANING
1. To bring an accused person before a court to hear and answer a criminal charge.
2. To accuse or condemn someone strongly, as though calling them to answer for wrongdoing.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- arraign a defendant
- arraigned on charges
On the page
They arraigned the captain while the ship still lay beyond the harbor.
She was arraigned on charges none of the witnesses would repeat aloud.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- arraign
- Past tense
- arraigned
- Past participle
- arraigned
- Present participle
- arraigning
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- arraign
- Present continuous
- am/is/are arraigning
- Present perfect
- have/has arraigned
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been arraigning
- Past
- arraigned
- Past continuous
- was/were arraigning
- Past perfect
- had arraigned
- Past perfect continuous
- had been arraigning
- Future
- will arraign
- Future continuous
- will be arraigning
- Future perfect
- will have arraigned
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been arraigning
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: arraign; arraigns; arraigned; arraigned; arraigning Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: arraigns.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.