An indictment is a formal written accusation charging someone with a serious crime. When a grand jury (a group of citizens who review evidence) believes there's enough proof that someone may have committed a crime, they issue an indictment. This doesn't mean the person is guilty; it means there's enough evidence to hold a trial where guilt or innocence will be determined.

Think of an indictment as the official starting point of a serious criminal case. A prosecutor presents evidence to the grand jury, and if the grand jury agrees the evidence is strong enough, they approve the indictment. The accused person then goes to trial, where a different jury will hear all the evidence and decide whether they're guilty.

The word is pronounced “in-DITE-ment” (the “c” is silent).

People also use indictment more broadly to mean a sign that something is seriously wrong. If half the students fail a test, someone might call that “an indictment of how the material was taught.” In this sense, it means strong evidence of a problem or failure, though this usage is more metaphorical than the legal meaning.