WordValeincriminate
to make someone appear guilty
In more detail
1. (verb) to show or suggest that someone is involved in a crime or wrongdoing
2. (verb) to make yourself appear guilty of a crime (often used in the phrase "incriminate yourself")
Examples
- 1. The fingerprints found at the scene incriminated the suspect.
- 2. He refused to answer questions because he didn't want to incriminate himself.
How to use incriminate
Incriminate means to provide evidence or suggest involvement in wrongdoing, typically in legal or serious contexts. It is often used in the reflexive form 'incriminate yourself,' warning against revealing one's own guilt. The term is more formal and legalistic than the looser verb 'involve,' and stronger than 'suggest' or 'indicate.'
Common phrases
- incriminate yourself
- heavily incriminated
- incriminate someone in a crime
- tend to incriminate
- directly incriminate
Synonyms
implicate · incupate · compromise · involve · inculpate
Opposites
exonerate · vindicate · absolve
Word family
incriminating (adjective) · incrimination (noun) · self-incrimination (noun)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse incriminate with discriminate; incriminate relates to crime and guilt, while discriminate relates to unfair treatment or distinction based on a category.
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