acquit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
acquits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
acquitted,
past participle, past
-
acquitting
present participle
-
to relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty.
They acquitted him of the crime. The jury acquitted her, but I still think she's guilty.
- Antonyms:
- convict
-
to release or discharge (a person) from an obligation.
- Synonyms:
- free
-
to settle or satisfy (a debt, obligation, claim, etc.).
-
to bear or conduct (oneself); behave.
He acquitted himself well in battle.
-
to free or clear (oneself).
He acquitted himself of suspicion.
verb
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(foll by of)
-
to free or release (from a charge of crime)
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to pronounce not guilty
-
-
(foll by of) to free or relieve (from an obligation, duty, responsibility, etc)
-
to repay or settle (something, such as a debt or obligation)
-
to perform (one's part); conduct (oneself)
Synonym Usage
See absolve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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acquitsimple
-
acquitssimple
-
have acquittedperfect
-
has acquittedperfect
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am acquittingprogressive
-
are acquittingprogressive
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is acquittingprogressive
-
have been acquittingperfect progressive
-
has been acquittingperfect progressive
Past
-
acquittedsimple
-
had acquittedperfect
-
was acquittingprogressive
-
were acquittingprogressive
-
had been acquittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of acquit
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English aquiten, from Anglo-French, Old French (ac)quiter, derivative, with a(c)- “toward” ( see ac-), from quite “free of obligations,” from Medieval Latin quit(t)us, Latin quiētus ( see quiet); cf. quit 1
Explanation
To acquit someone is to clear them of charges. Acquitting also has to do with how you carry or present yourself. If you're accused of a crime, then the best thing that can happen to you is being acquitted — that means you were cleared or exonerated of the charges. A defense lawyer wants to have his client acquitted. But watch out for another unrelated meaning: acquitting can mean how you behave, conduct, or carry yourself. If you acquit yourself like a champion, then you're acting like a champion.
Vocabulary lists containing acquit
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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And Then There Were None
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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:
If they agree to do so, the judges may dismiss the appeal or uphold it, in which case they may order a new trial or acquit her.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
The lawyer for Lindsay Clancy urged a judge Tuesday to acquit the US mother accused of murdering her three children after a jury failed to reach a verdict in the high-profile case.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
In the criminal justice system, jurors are entitled to acquit defendants by deliberately rejecting evidence or refusing to apply the law, often by substituting their own sense of fairness—a concept known as jury nullification.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
He maintained that he was suffering from mental illness at the time of the attack and was unable to form the intent to kill, urging the court to acquit him on the grounds of insanity.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
I do not fear injury, only that I may not acquit myself well.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Pitt, who gets to pour out everything Mike is feeling, acquits this imbalance well enough, but in any drama worth its coulda-been-a-contender salt, he shouldn’t have to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
Apa acquits himself quite well as Wes, displaying a tough exterior getting into verbal and physical fights, but also his sensitive side as he comes to realize who and what he cares about.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2024
Typically, a jury acquits because the prosecution has failed to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2024
She acquits herself well, telling a story of persistence and courage that's laced with dry self-awareness and humour.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2023
The manner in which the luckless wight acquits himself of his invidious task forms the theme of many a conversation in the "highest detective circles" of the French capital for the next week or so.
From The Strand Magazine, Volume XXVII, Issue 160, April, 1904 by Various
The actor, who denied the charges heading into prosecution, was also acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was acquitted on all charges.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
"In particular, it concluded that the appellant cannot rely on the fact that another individual -- who had also faced prosecution in connection with the events in Guatemala -- was acquitted in Austria."
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
He was acquitted by the state Senate and returned to office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
And Bodega would, too, confident that Nazario would get him acquitted or at least a light sentence.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
A previous trial against Atkins earlier this year ended with jurors acquitting him of first-degree murder and deadlocking on a second-degree murder charge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Middleton was reportedly one of several senators considering voting to convict Paxton, although he ultimately joined the majority in acquitting him.
From Salon ● May 23, 2026
Garcia's opportunities have been limited this season despite acquitting himself well in the United States and he proved himself again.
From Barron's ● Jan. 4, 2026
Anyway, the jury came back with a verdict of not guilty, acquitting Sandwich Guy of all charges.
From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2025
The most implacable, on the whole, were the third, fourth, and sixth courts, and the thirteenth at St. Cloud, which publicly boasted of acquitting nobody.
From History of the Commune of 1871 by P. Lissagary
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