Anklagade

Anklagade is a Swedish term that functions as the past participle and as an adjective derived from the verb ankla ga (to accuse). It is used to describe persons or groups who have been accused of a crime or offense, and it can appear in both singular and plural forms, as in den anklagade mannen (the accused man) or de anklagade (the accused, plural).

As a verb form, ankla ga in the past tense yields forms that appear in reporting or narration, for example, polisen anklagade flera personer (the police accused several people). More commonly, however, anklagade is used as an adjective or as a noun phrase to refer to individuals under suspicion or formal charge without implying a final verdict.

In legal and media usage, the term indicates that someone has been charged or accused, but not necessarily convicted. It is often encountered in news about criminal cases, where the accused are described as such while proceedings are ongoing. The word sits alongside related terms such as ankla gelse (the accusation) and åtalad, the latter typically signaling a formal indictment or court action.

Etymology traces anklaga to the broader Germanic linguistic family, with cognates in other Scandinavian languages and German, where similar roots express the act of accusing or charging someone with a crime. The Swedish form has stabilized into distinct uses as a verb participle, an adjective, and a noun phrase referring to individuals facing allegations.

See also: ankla ga, ankla gelse, åtalad, tiltalad, tilltalelse.