acquit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
(foll by of)
-
to free or release (from a charge of crime)
-
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
-
acquitsimple
-
acquitssimple
-
have acquittedperfect
-
has acquittedperfect
-
am acquittingprogressive
-
are acquittingprogressive
-
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:
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
Kuqi added he is "100% sure" they will acquit themselves better in the Premier League next season because of the lessons of 2024-25.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
The jury declined to comment on what prompted them to acquit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
"We expect the court to acquit Ms Esfandiari," her lawyer Nabil Boudi told AFP before Thursday's ruling.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
Emma was very willing now to acquit her of having seduced Mr. Dixon’s actions from his wife, or of any thing mischievous which her imagination had suggested at first.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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
Osborne acquits himself well on the court, demonstrating skills he learned while playing basketball in college and professionally in Australia.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023
He acquits his conscience of this duty, but performs it nevertheless in such a jerky, unlover-like fashion that few young women, certainly not one of Miss Anthony's force of character, could have been imposed upon.
From Lippincott's Magazine, November 1885 by Various
His attorneys have since appealed both the convictions and the sentence, arguing the judge improperly relied on allegations connected to charges for which he was acquitted when determining his punishment.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
In December, a Milwaukee federal jury found Dugan guilty of obstructing law enforcement but acquitted her on a charge of concealing a man wanted by immigration authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Also cleared by the jury were Alison-Madueke's older brother Doye Agama, 69, an archbishop at a Pentecostal church in Manchester, who was acquitted of conspiracy to commit bribery.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
The defendants -- both Chinese nationals who arrived in court in prison garb -- were acquitted of charges stemming from a separate bombing at a Bangkok pier.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
They acquitted Orestes, and with the words of acquittal the spirit of evil which had haunted his house for so long was banished.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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
Trial juries engage in nullification much more frequently, acquitting a defendant because they believe the prosecution to be unjust.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2025
A panel of 12 jurors deliberated for 13 hours before acquitting Combs of three of the most serious five charges he was facing.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
Mr. Binney embarked on his second term at Cambridge with the full intention of acquitting himself with credit and freeing his character from the suspicion of unruliness which had unfortunately become attached to it.
From Peter Binney A Novel by Marshall, Archibald
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
