accusées

Accusée is the feminine form of the noun and participle accused (accusé) in French. It designates a woman who has been accused of a crime or who serves as a defendant in a criminal proceeding. The plural accusées refers specifically to multiple women in this role. By contrast, the masculine singular is accusé and the masculine or mixed plural is accusés. The gendered endings reflect French grammar, where nouns and adjectives agree in gender and number.

In legal and journalistic usage, accusée can function as a noun meaning “the accused (woman)” or as a participial adjective meaning “the woman who is accused.” For example, L’accusée a nié les faits or Les accusées comparaîtront devant le tribunal. It is common in reporting on trials, court decisions, and legal debates.

Etymologically, accusée comes from the verb accuse, itself from Latin accusare. The form with the ending -ée is the feminine noun/adjective adaptation of the masculine accusé, following standard French gender patterns.

Important distinctions include the presumption of innocence in many French-speaking jurisdictions: being accused does not imply guilt. The eventual status of a person labeled as accused may change to acquitted (acquittée) or convicted (condamnée) depending on the outcome of the proceedings. The term is used predominantly in formal legal and media contexts; in civil matters, other terms such as défendeur are more typical, though the concept of being named as someone accused may still appear in reporting.