v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Indicted p. pr. & vb. n. Indicting. ] [ OE. enditen. See Indite. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To write; to compose; to dictate; to indite. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To appoint publicly or by authority; to proclaim or announce. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I am told shall have no Lent indicted this year. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) To charge with a crime, in due form of law, by the finding or presentment of a grand jury; to bring an indictment against; as, to indict a man for arson. It is the peculiar province of a grand jury to indict, as it is of a house of representatives to impeach. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being, or liable to be, indicted; subject to indictment; as, an indictable offender or offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) A person indicted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who indicts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. indictio: cf. F. indiction. See Indict, Indite. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Declaration; proclamation; public notice or appointment. [ Obs. ] “Indiction of a war.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Secular princes did use to indict, or permit the indiction of, synods of bishops. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A cycle of fifteen years. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This mode of reckoning time is said to have been introduced by Constantine the Great, in connection with the payment of tribute. It was adopted at various times by the Greek emperors of Constantinople, the popes, and the parliaments of France. Through the influence of the popes, it was extensively used in the ecclesiastical chronology of the Middle Ages. The number of indictions was reckoned at first from 312 a. d., but since the twelfth century it has been reckoned from the birth of Christ. The papal indiction is the only one ever used at the present day. To find the indiction and year of the indiction by the first method, subtract 312 from the given year a. d., and divide by 15; by the second method, add 3 to the given year a. d., and the divide by 15. In either case, the quotient is the number of the current indiction, and the remainder the year of the indiction. See Cycle of indiction, under Cycle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. indictivus. See Indict. ] Proclaimed; declared; public. Kennet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Inditement. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of indicting, or the state of being indicted. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) The formal statement of an offense, as framed by the prosecuting authority of the State, and found by the grand jury. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ To the validity of an indictment a finding by the grand jury is essential, while an information rests only on presentation by the prosecuting authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An accusation in general; a formal accusation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bill of indictment. See under Bill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) One who indicts. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ For vindicative, confused with L. vindicta revenge, punishment, fr. vindicare to vindicate. Cf. Vindicative. ] 1. Disposed to revenge; prompted or characterized by revenge; revengeful. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am vindictive enough to repel force by force. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Punitive. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Vindictive damages. (Law) See under Damage, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Vin*dic"tive*ly, adv. -- Vin*dic"tive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]