v. [f. L. crīmināt-, ppl. stem of crīmināri, or crīmināre to accuse, charge with crime, f. crīmen CRIME.]
1. trans. To charge with crime; to represent as criminal.
1645. Pagitt, Heresiogr. (1646), 62. They criminate the Dutch and French Churches.
1793. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), II. 386. I suppose the public servants will be criminated.
1816. Keatinge, Trav. (1817), I. 134. We must begin in self-justification … by criminating those whom we mean to destroy.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 699. The noble penitent then proceeded to make atonement for his own crime by criminating other people,… guilty and innocent.
2. To prove (any one) guilty of crime; to incriminate.
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., xii. Whom, I would not justifie myself, to criminate.
1791. State Papers, in Ann. Reg., 160*. They cannot be examined, criminated, or judged … with respect to what they have said, written, or performed.
1841. J. T. Hewlett, Parish Clerk, I. 129. Determined not to criminate himself by any allusion to the circumstance.
3. To represent or censure (a thing or action) as criminal; to blame severely, condemn.
a. 1677. Ld. North, Light in Way to Paradise (1682), 29 (T.). As for our church liturgy it is now criminated by many as idolatrous.
1792. W. Roberts, Looker-On, No. 43 (1794), II. 138. To criminate the motives and actions of mankind.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., I. xii. 327. Eliot descends to criminate the Duke’s magnificent tastes.
Hence Criminating ppl. a.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 427. Spoken with a sterne countenance and criminating voice.
1786. Burke, W. Hastings, Wks. 1842, II. 210. Applying no stronger or more criminating epithets than those of ‘improper, unwarrantable, and highly impolitick.’
1801. Mar. Edgeworth, Belinda, iii. A long criminating and recriminating chapter.
