acquittal

American  

[uh-kwit-l] / əˈkwɪt l /

noun

• acquittals
  plural

1. the act of acquitting; discharge.

2. the state of being acquitted; release.

3. the discharge or settlement of a debt, obligation, etc.

4. Law. judicial deliverance from a criminal charge on a verdict or finding of not guilty.

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acquittal British  

/ əˈkwɪtəl /

noun

1. criminal law the deliverance and release of a person appearing before a court on a charge of crime, as by a finding of not guilty

2. a discharge or release from an obligation, duty, debt, etc

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acquittal Cultural  

1. The judgment of a court that a person charged with a crime is not guilty.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonacquittal
  noun
• preacquittal
  noun
• proacquittal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acquittals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of acquittal

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English a(c)quitaille, from Anglo-French; equivalent to acquit + -al ²

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Explanation

Acquittal is a legal word that defendants love to hear because it means "not guilty." In the 15th Century, an acquittal referred to the payment of a debt, but now it means being freed of charges against you in court. In fact, now the word is really used only in a legal sense. It's from the Latin ad "to" plus quitare meaning "set free." Getting an acquittal is still like being set free. Free to do what you want, any old time! So now the only time you'll need the word is in court, and it's one word you hope to hear if you've been busted.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acquittal acquittals

One juror was the holdout, refusing to vote for acquittal.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

Backers say the limits avoid saddling arrestees with a digital scarlet letter that can cause lasting harm in employment and housing even after an acquittal or dismissal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Caruana Galizia's family said in a statement that Fenech's acquittal was "denying her the justice she deserves".

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

His acquittal over the Gezi Park protests was overturned in January 2021, and he was sentenced to life in prison in April 2022 - a conviction now declared "null and void" by the ECHR.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Kelsie Morrison had earlier told agents that Hale was certain that “money will buy the protection or acquittal of any man for any crime in Osage County.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Unlike Simpson’s case, which ended in acquittals, the kidnapping attracted a new generation of amateur sleuths, livestreaming hours of content, conjecture and rumor each day to hundreds of thousands of online followers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

She appealed the verdict in the hope of clearing her name, while prosecutors also did so arguing that the sentence was too lenient and the acquittals were wrongful.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

Nath's family has expressed similar concerns, saying they were considering legal options over the acquittals and hoped for government support.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Two recent misdemeanor trials against protesters charged with assaulting a federal officer both ended in acquittals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025

But to attempt to do this by means of the ordinary courts and magistrates would consume time and lead to many acquittals.

From History of Holland by George Edmundson

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