criminate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
very rare/archaicformal, archaic, legal
Quick answer
What does “criminate” mean?
to accuse or incriminate someone.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to accuse or incriminate someone; to charge with a crime
to bring a criminal charge against; to censure or condemn; to involve in accusation
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences; equally archaic in both varieties
Connotations
Historical/archaic legal term in both dialects
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary usage in both British and American English
Grammar
How to Use “criminate” in a Sentence
[NP1] criminates [NP2] (for [crime])[NP1] criminates [NP2] as [NP3][NP1] criminates [NP2] with [evidence]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “criminate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The evidence was insufficient to criminate the suspect.
- Historical statutes allowed magistrates to criminate individuals based on hearsay.
American English
- The prosecutor sought to criminate the defendant through circumstantial evidence.
- Eighteenth-century legal texts frequently use 'criminate' where we'd say 'incriminate' today.
adverb
British English
- No modern adverb form exists
American English
- No modern adverb form exists
adjective
British English
- No modern adjective form exists
American English
- No modern adjective form exists
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used
Academic
Only in historical/legal linguistics studies
Everyday
Never used
Technical
Historical legal contexts only
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “criminate”
- Using instead of 'incriminate'
- Confusing with 'discriminate'
- Using in contemporary contexts
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's considered archaic. The word 'incriminate' has completely replaced it in contemporary usage.
They mean essentially the same thing, but 'criminate' is the older, now obsolete form, while 'incriminate' is the modern standard term.
No, using 'criminate' would mark your writing as outdated or affected. Always use 'incriminate' instead.
Understanding archaic forms like 'criminate' helps with reading historical texts and shows how language evolves, particularly how prefixes like 'in-' become standardized over time.
to accuse or incriminate someone.
Criminate is usually formal, archaic, legal in register.
Criminate: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkrɪmɪneɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkrɪməˌneɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None - too rare for idiomatic usage”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'CRIME-in-ATE' - to make someone involved in a crime through accusation
Conceptual Metaphor
ACCUSATION IS A LEGAL BURDEN (as in 'burden of proof' or 'weight of accusation')
Practice
Quiz
Which word has completely replaced 'criminate' in modern English?