1. Family law. Archaic. In a divorce suit, a countercharge that the complainant has been guilty of an offense constituting a ground for divorce. • When both parties to the marriage have committed marital misconduct that would be grounds for divorce, neither may obtain a fault divorce. Recriminations are now virtually obsolete because of the prevalence of no-fault divorce. See COMPARATIVE RECTITUDE. Cf. COLLUSION(2); CONNIVANCE(2); CONDONATION(2).
2. Criminal law. An accused person’s counteraccusation against the accuser. • The accusation may be for the same or a different offense. — recriminatory, adj.
