impeach
To formally charge a public official with misconduct in office
Examples
In a meeting
“The board can impeach any member who violates ethical guidelines.”
Over coffee
“Do you think they'll actually impeach the governor over this scandal?”
Why this word
charge
Impeach specifically means formally accusing a public official of misconduct (not removing them), while charge broadly means accusing of any crime
remove
Impeach is bringing formal charges against an official, while remove means actually dismissing them from office
accuse
Impeach is the formal constitutional process for charging high officials with wrongdoing, while accuse is any claim of wrongdoing
Usage tip
Use for formal accusations against officials, not conviction. Impeachment is the charge; removal requires a separate process.
Etymology
Latin 'impedicare' (catch, entangle) from 'in-' (in) + 'pedica' (fetter) — to entrap
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Related words
inadvertent
Not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning; unintentional.
enjoin
To legally prohibit or order someone to do or not do something
proscribe
To officially forbid or condemn something
severability
The legal principle that if one part of a contract is invalid, the rest remains enforceable
quorum
The minimum number of members required to be present for valid proceedings
recuse
To remove oneself from a decision due to conflict of interest or bias