exonerate
Americanverb (used with object)
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exonerates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exonerated,
past participle, past
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exonerating
present participle
verb
-
to clear or absolve from blame or a criminal charge
-
to relieve from an obligation or task; exempt
Synonym Usage
See absolve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exoneratesimple
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exoneratessimple
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have exoneratedperfect
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has exoneratedperfect
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am exoneratingprogressive
-
are exoneratingprogressive
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is exoneratingprogressive
-
have been exoneratingperfect progressive
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has been exoneratingperfect progressive
Past
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exoneratedsimple
-
had exoneratedperfect
-
was exoneratingprogressive
-
were exoneratingprogressive
-
had been exoneratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exonerate
First recorded in 1515–25; late Middle English, from Latin exonerātus (past participle of exonerāre “to unburden, discharge”), equivalent to ex- “out of, from; thoroughly” + oner- (stem of onus ) “a burden” + -ātus past participle suffix; see ex- 1, -ate 1
Explanation
To exonerate someone is to declare him not guilty of criminal charges. This word is pretty much only used in reference to proceedings in a court of law. A word with a similar meaning that might be familiar is “acquit.” When your next door neighbor was arrested for painting smiley faces on the front doors of all the houses on your block, evidence to exonerate him was discovered when the police found a young hooligan from the next street over with a basement full of paint canisters. The verb comes from the Latin exonerat-, meaning “freed from burden.” A criminal charge is certainly a burden, and when you're exonerated, you're freed from that burden.
Vocabulary lists containing exonerate
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Great Expectations
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
These numbers exonerate this summer’s usual suspects of the long-run crime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
"We must not exonerate from all responsibility the seven decades that followed independence," he told the magazine, calling on African leaders to improve governance.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
While it’s true, as EduBirdie told Salon, that many of the online influencers peddling the “tradwife” life are actually paid professionals who make money off creating content, this hypocrisy doesn’t exonerate them.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
Just because “Hinch said he was wrong” in not doing anything to stop the 2017 Astros from cheating does not exonerate him.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2025
“That isn’t her doing,” Lazlo said, not to dismiss the threat, but at least to exonerate Sarai.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
An Oklahoma judge exonerates a man who spent nearly 50 years in prison on murder charges, the longest serving inmate to be declared innocent of the crime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2024
"The report exonerates me of all responsibility," Almagro, who had seen the findings, told Reuters in an emailed statement.
From Reuters ● Apr. 17, 2023
Body camera footage is more routinely made public, whether it exonerates the officers or raises questions.
From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2023
While this story might be basically accurate, I don’t think it exonerates SBF the way he seems to think it does.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2023
I can think of no answer that exonerates me.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Only once before has an executed person been exonerated posthumously by a state entity.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
During Duncan’s campaign last year for New Orleans criminal court clerk, Murrill sent him a letter threatening “further action from this office” if he didn’t stop referring to himself as being exonerated.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
It pointed to a recent decision by the High Court in London that largely exonerated Renault and four other carmakers from charges that the devices were designed to cheat clean air laws.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Yepez’s attorney said his client will be exonerated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
My dad glanced at my mom and for one delirious second I thought I was off the hook, that somehow I’d exonerated myself, and that we could all just go back to business as usual.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Only in 1906, after many twists, did the high court of appeal overturn the original verdict, exonerating Dreyfus.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
Legislation exonerating all affected sub-postmasters in Scotland is expected to pass on Thursday.
From BBC ● May 30, 2024
The Los Angeles Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal group with a reputation for exonerating wrongfully convicted criminals, is seeking to clear Peterson in the killings of Laci Peterson and their unborn son, Conner.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024
On Thursday, Prado said he would have recommended exonerating Pargas because the acting police chief responded to the crisis correctly based on the division of responsibility between the city and school district.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2024
How could he, she asked herself, exonerating him from blame.
From The Squirrel-Cage by John Alanzo Williams
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
