Exploration of the meanings and uses of 'fault' and 'indictment'

Meaning of 'fault'

Fault has many meanings. It can mean blame or responsibility, and it can also mean a defect or flaw, especially in a person's character.
Ex: I knew that it was my fault that things had gone so badly in class that day, not the students'. I decided that I would try that lesson again the next day, and so do things differently.

Ex: Chief among Pat's many faults was that he only saw other people in terms of what they could do for him rather than as people. I'm not sure how he ever found someone willing to marry him.

Idioms with 'fault'

Many idioms and expressions use the word fault. One is to find fault, which means looking for and listing the defects or flaws in someone or something. Another is to a fault, which is used to describe a quality that someone has to an excessive degree.
Ex: My wife is not a negative person, but she generally manages to find fault with every plan I come up with. For instance, when I said that we should paint the shed, which needed painting very badly, she said that it would be a waste of my money and time.

Ex: My friend Tom is generous to a fault. He would never come to your home without a small gift or token of his esteem, and he is always willing to help a friend in need.

Meaning of 'indictment'

When someone is indicted, that person has been formally accused by a court of law of committing a specific crime or crimes. The noun that refers to that formal accusation is indictment.
Ex: This morning, Mr. John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt was indicted on seventeen counts of identity theft, and prosecutors say that there are likely to be more indictments in the near future.

Ex: After more than ten years on the run, Patrick Cashin was caught by police in central Florida and indicted on charges of theft and fraud. His lawyer has not yet issued a statement.

Informal use of 'indict'

Indict can also be used informally, in a general sense of accusing someone of wrongdoing or of being flawed.

Ex: The director Otto von Spielbach's new film, "What! Me Worry?" is an indictment of capitalism, suggesting that it is the source of most problems in the world today.

Ex: The newspaper columnist, Benjamin Martin, just wrote an editorial that indicts most journalists working today, accusing them of sensationalism and laziness. The newspaper reporters' union is demanding a retraction and an apology.