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Webster 1913 Edition


Impeach

Im-peach′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Impeached
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Impeaching
.]
[OE.
empeechier
to prevent, hinder, bar, F.
empêcher
, L.
impedicare
to entangle; pref.
im-
in +
pedica
fetter, fr.
pes
,
pedis
, foot. See
Foot
, and
Appeach
,
Dispatch
,
Impede
.]
1.
To hinder; to impede; to prevent.
[Obs.]
These ungracious practices of his sons did
impeach
his journey to the Holy Land.
Sir J. Davies.
A defluxion on my throat
impeached
my utterance.
Howell.
2.
To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; to arraign;
as, to
impeach
a judge
. See
Impeachment
.
3.
Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question;
as, to
impeach
one’s motives or conduct
.
And doth
impeach
the freedom of the state.
Shakespeare
4.
(Law)
To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper.
Syn. – To accuse; arraign; censure; criminate; indict; impair; disparage; discredit. See
Accuse
.

Im-peach′

,
Noun.
Hindrance; impeachment.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Impeach

IMPE'ACH

,
Verb.
T.
[L. pango, pactus.]
1.
To hinder; to impede. This sense is found in our early writers.
These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land.
A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance.
[This application of the word is obsolete.]
2.
To accuse; to charge with a crime or misdemeanor; but appropriately, to exhibit charges of maladministration against a public officer before a competent tribunal, that is, to send or put on, to load. The word is now restricted to accusations made by authority; as, to impeach a judge. [See Impeachment.]
3.
To accuse; to censure; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct.
4.
To call to account; to charge as answerable.

IMPE'ACH

,
Noun.
Hinderance.

Definition 2024


impeach

impeach

English

Verb

impeach (third-person singular simple present impeaches, present participle impeaching, simple past and past participle impeached)

  1. To hinder, impede, or prevent.
    • Sir J. Davies
      These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land.
    • Howell
      A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance.
  2. To bring a legal proceeding against a public official, asserting that because he or she committed some offense, he or she should be removed from office.
    • President Clinton was impeached by the House in November 1999, but since the Senate acquitted him, he was not removed from office.
  3. To charge with impropriety; to discredit; to call into question.
  4. (law) To demonstrate in court that a testimony under oath contradicts another testimony from the same person, usually one taken during deposition.

Derived terms

Translations