400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL LESSON 26 - A Reasonable Doubt Vocabulary Test
Word List
accuse [əˈkjuːz] v.
To say that someone did something wrong (e.g., committed a crime)
→ Jordan was accused of using a stolen credit card to buy about $300 worth of electronic equipment.
Usage tips Accuse is often used in the passive voice.
Parts of speech accusation n., accuser n.
allegedly [əˈlɛdʒədli] adv.
According to what people say
→ The chief financial officer of the company allegedly took company money for his personal use.
Parts of speech allege v., allegation n.
civil [ˈsɪvl] adj.
Involving a dispute between two citizens, not a criminal charge
→ In a civil suit against his neighbor, Barney claimed that the neighbor’s dog had bitten him.
Usage tips In a court context, civil almost always appears in one of the following phrases: civil suit, civil action, civil court, civil proceedings, and civil penalties.
convict [ˈkɒnvɪkt] v.
To decide that someone is guilty of a crime
→ Dean was convicted of assault after the jury saw a video of him striking another man.
Usage tips Convict is often used in the passive voice.
Parts of speech convict n., conviction n.
guilty [ˈgɪltɪ] adj.
Responsible for doing something bad
→ The jury found that the director was guilty of embezzlement.
Usage tips Guilty is often followed by an of phrase that names a crime or bad deed.
Parts of speech guilt n., guiltily adv.
offense [əˈfens] n.
A specific act that breaks the law
→ Convicted twice of reckless driving, Victor will lose his license if he commits another serious traffic offense.
Parts of speech offender n., offensive adj.
peer [pɪər] n.
A person who is one’s social equal
→ In requiring judgment by “a jury of one’s peers,” U.S.law meant to protect lower-class defendants from the possibly biased judgment of upper-class juries.
suspect [ˈsʌspekt] n.
Someone who,in the opinion of the police, might have committed a certain crime
→ The police were investigating the activities of five suspects in the liquor-store robbery.
Parts of speech suspect v., suspicion n., suspicious adj., suspiciously adv.
verdict [ˈvɜːdɪkt] n.
A judgment in a court case
→ It took the jury only 30 minutes to reach a verdict of “guilty.”
Usage tips Verdict is often the object of the verbs reach or arrive at.
witness [ˈwɪtnɪs] v.
To see something, especially a crime, happen
→ After witnessing the car theft, Rodney called the police.
Parts of speech witness n.
