acquittal
Americannoun
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the act of acquitting; discharge.
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the state of being acquitted; release.
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the discharge or settlement of a debt, obligation, etc.
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Law. judicial deliverance from a criminal charge on a verdict or finding of not guilty.
noun
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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
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a discharge or release from an obligation, duty, debt, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of acquittal
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English a(c)quitaille, from Anglo-French; equivalent to acquit + -al 2
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.
Vocabulary lists containing acquittal
Twelve Angry Men
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Achievement First 6th Grade IA 1 Words
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50th Anniversary of the March on Washington: "Trying to Inspire a New Generation" by Trip Gabriel
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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.
Once Elle has succeeded at everything, including winning an acquittal for a sorority sister accused of murder, Warner reappears and hands her the declaration of love she originally wanted when she followed him to Harvard.
From Salon • Jul. 6, 2026
“The Verdict” lays out, step by step, how the trial ended in Jackson’s full acquittal.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
It overturned his acquittal by a lower court of abuse of power for ordering his defence of the martial law declaration to be distributed to foreign media.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
It wasn't until July 2025 that Lee Jae-yong was finally cleared, when the Seoul High Court upheld his acquittal over alleged fraud related to the merger deal widely thought to have secured his succession.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
John Jones stepped up to help, leading fundraising efforts in Chicago for what became a successful defense and acquittal.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
