Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Trial & Verdict

Guilty

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈɡɪlti/adjectiveCore term

In criminal law & justice, guilty means: Officially judged by a court to have committed a crime; the opposite verdict is 'not guilty'.

In Turkish: suçlu, suçu sabit

How it is used

The key patterns are 'found guilty of' an offence, 'plead guilty' or 'plead not guilty', and 'a guilty verdict'. In court, the formal opposite is 'not guilty', not 'innocent'. Outside law, 'feel guilty' means feeling bad about something you did.

Example sentences

  1. She was found guilty of fraud and will be sentenced next month.

  2. The jury found both men not guilty.

  3. Until a court decides, nobody can be treated as guilty.

Common collocations

  • found guilty of
  • plead guilty
  • not guilty
  • guilty verdict
  • guilty of murder
  • verdictThe decision at the end of a trial on whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty, especially the decision of a jury.
  • plead guiltyTo tell the court formally that you admit committing the crime you are charged with; 'plead not guilty' means you deny it.
  • convictTo decide officially in court that someone is guilty of a crime; as a noun, a convict is a person who has been found guilty and is usually in prison.
  • acquitTo decide officially in court that a person is not guilty of the crime they were charged with.
  • presumption of innocenceThe basic principle that every person accused of a crime must be treated as innocent until the prosecution proves their guilt in court.

More terms: Trial & Verdict

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.