Glossary
Indictment
A formal accusation of a crime, issued by a grand jury after reviewing evidence presented by the prosecutor. Required for serious federal crimes, and used in many state systems for felonies.
An indictment isn't a finding of guilt: it's a finding that there's enough evidence to bring the defendant to trial. The grand jury hears only the prosecution's side and applies a "probable cause" standard, which is much lower than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard at trial.
Some states use a different process: the prosecutor files an "information" after a preliminary hearing, where a judge (not a grand jury) decides whether there's probable cause to proceed.
Either way, the document tells the defendant what they're charged with so they can prepare a defense.