Impeachment

Simple meaning

Impeachment is the formal process of officially charging a public official — usually a president, judge, or senior government figure — with misconduct or abuse of power.

Detailed meaning

The word impeachment comes from Old French empeechier — to impede or accuse. It entered English as a legal term for formally bringing charges against someone in power.

The most important thing to understand: Impeachment is the charge, not the conviction. In most systems, a person can be impeached and still remain in office — the impeachment is the indictment, not the removal. Removal requires a separate vote.

In the United States (the most widely known system):

• The House of Representatives can vote to impeach a president — this is the formal charge.
• The Senate then holds a trial.
• A two-thirds majority in the Senate is needed for removal from office.
• Being impeached does not automatically mean being removed.

In other democracies: Similar processes exist under different names — censure, removal proceedings, parliamentary accountability motions.

Word forms:

• Impeachment (noun) — "The impeachment proceedings began in November."
• Impeach (verb) — "The House voted to impeach the president."
• Impeachable (adjective) — "an impeachable offence" — one serious enough to warrant the process

What can lead to impeachment? In the US context: bribery, treason, and high crimes and misdemeanours — a deliberately broad phrase that Congress interprets case by case.

Where to use it

• News and political analysis — "The impeachment vote was divided largely along party lines."
• Legal and constitutional contexts — "Impeachment is a constitutional remedy of last resort."
• Historical discussion — "Three US presidents have faced impeachment proceedings."
• Explaining the process — "Impeachment is not the same as removal — it is the formal charge."

Where not to use it

Don't use impeachment loosely to mean remove, fire, or kick out. A president who is impeached has been formally charged — not removed. Confusing the two is one of the most common errors in news coverage and public conversation. Also, don't use impeach for non-public figures — it is a constitutional/legal term specifically for public officials.

5 example sentences

1. The House voted to begin impeachment proceedings, citing abuse of power and refusal to cooperate with the investigation.
2. Impeachment is not removal — the official remains in office until a Senate trial produces a two-thirds vote for conviction.
3. The constitution specifies bribery, treason, and high crimes and misdemeanours as grounds for impeachment.
4. The impeachment of a judge is rare but possible — judicial misconduct can trigger the same constitutional process.
5. Three US presidents have faced impeachment proceedings; none were removed from office through that process.

Common mistakes

Similar & opposite words

Similar (synonyms)

Opposite (antonyms)

Memory trick

A short story to remember it

The news broke on a Tuesday morning: the House had voted to impeach the president.

By noon, every news channel was running a banner: PRESIDENT IMPEACHED.

The headlines were accurate. But in the conversations that followed — in offices, families, and online — the same question kept coming up: "So he's out? He's removed?"

He wasn't.

Impeachment was the charge. The Senate trial would take months. Conviction required two-thirds of senators — 67 votes. The party lines were clear. He was acquitted.

He served out his full term.

"I thought impeachment meant removed," someone said.

"Most people do," the political scientist replied. "That's why they designed it that way — it was meant to be difficult."

"Impeachment is not the end of the road. It is the beginning of a very long and uncertain one."

Practice quiz

Summary

Impeachment is the formal process of charging a public official — typically a president, judge, or senior government figure — with misconduct or abuse of power. It is the charge, not the removal. In the US system, the House of Representatives impeaches; the Senate tries; a two-thirds vote is needed for removal. Being impeached does not mean being removed — many impeached officials have remained in office. The word is specifically constitutional and governmental — it does not apply to private-sector roles. The verb is impeach; the adjective is impeachable.