vorgeworfen

Vorgeworfen is a form related to the German verb vorwerfen, which means to accuse or reproach someone of something. It is encountered in discussions of grammar as a participial form connected with the act of making a charge or allegation. The expression captures the idea of presenting a fault or offense to another person.

Etymology and sense: vorwerfen combines the prefix vor- (forward, ahead) with werfen (to throw). Figuratively, to vorwerfen is to throw an accusation in someone’s face, i.e., to attribute a fault to them. This figurative sense is common in legal, political, and everyday discourse when describing allegations or criticisms directed at a person.

Grammar and usage notes: In standard modern German, the past participle used in perfect and passive constructions is vorgeworfen (as in hat vorgeworfen) and vorgeworfen is the form that appears with tense and voice: Es wird ihm vorgeworfen; Er hat ihr vorgeworfen, sie habe gelogen. The attributive form is vorgeworfenes Vergehen or ein vorgeworfenes Verhalten. The form vorgeworfen is the usual participle in these constructions. The spelling vorgeworfen is widely attested; the form voneinander unterschiedliche or less common variant vorgeworfen is often considered nonstandard or archaic in contemporary usage.

Examples: Es wird ihm vorgeworfen, dass er das Vermögen veruntreut habe. Der Angeklagte bestritte die vorgeworfenen Anschuldigungen. Das vorgeworfene Vergehen blieb unbewiesen, hieß es im Bericht.

See also: The term is closely tied to the concept of formal accusations in law and journalism, and to the broader German verb family around vorwerfen and related accusatory constructions.