recriminate

English

Etymology

From Latin recrīminātus, past participle of recrīminō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈkɹɪmɪneɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

recriminate (third-person singular simple present recriminates, present participle recriminating, simple past and past participle recriminated)

1. (ambitransitive) To accuse in return, state an accusation in return, make a countercharge.

   Tom said Harry had lied, and Harry recriminated by saying Tom had manipulated him.

   • 1676, Edward Stillingfleet, A Defence of the Discourse Concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church:

     It is not my business to recriminate, hoping sufficiently to clear myself in this matter.

   • 1847, Emily Brontë, chapter XI, in Wuthering Heights‎:

     Besides, he might come and begin a string of abuse or complainings; I’m certain I should recriminate, and God knows where we should end!

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *krey- (0 c, 87 e)

Translations

to accuse in return

Finnish: esittää vastasyytös French: récriminer (fr) German: im Gegenzug beschuldigen, Gegenbeschuldigungen erheben; (rare also) gegenbeschuldigen; (with a following sub-clause) entgegnen (de), zurückwerfen (dass) (de) Greek: αντικατηγορώ (el) (antikatigoró) Hungarian: viszontvádol Macedonian: противобвинува (protivobvinuva) Malayalam: പ്രത്യാരോപണം (pratyārōpaṇaṁ) Maori: whakawāwā Spanish: recriminar (es)

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

recriminate

1. inflection of recriminare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

recriminate f pl

1. feminine plural of recriminato

Anagrams

• terramicine

Spanish

Verb

recriminate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of recriminar combined with te