Etymology

j'accuse

Today it means: An accusation, especially one made publicly. Full definition →

First used 19th c.French J'Accuse
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The story

  1. French · derived fromJ'Accuse
  2. English todayj'accuse

Borrowing from French J'Accuse ("I accuse"), the title of an 1898 open letter from writer Emile Zola to the president of France during the Dreyfus Affair.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. An accusation, especially one made publicly.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.