acquittal

[ uh-kwit-l ]

/ əˈkwɪt l /

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See synonyms for acquittal on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of acquitting; discharge.

the state of being acquitted; release.

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

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of acquittal

1400–50; late Middle English a(c)quitaille<Anglo-French; see acquit, -al²

OTHER WORDS FROM acquittal

non·ac·quit·tal, nounpre·ac·quit·tal, nounpro·ac·quit·tal, adjective

Words nearby acquittal

acquis communautaire, acquisition, acquisition accounting, acquisitive, acquit, acquittal, acquittance, acquitted, acr-, acraldehyde, acrasin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use acquittal in a sentence

A year later, the acquittal of the Los Angeles police officers who beat Rodney King set off riots in the city, during which many Korean shops were burned and looted.
‘Nobody came, nobody helped’: Fears of anti-Asian violence rattle the community|Marian Liu, Rachel Hatzipanagos|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
Schwartz referenced two cases where Berryment had achieved an acquittal at trial for one client and had a guilty verdict vacated by the state supreme court for another.
Lawyers Who Were Ineligible to Handle Serious Criminal Charges Were Given Thousands of These Cases Anyway|by Samantha Hogan, The Maine Monitor, and Agnel Philip, ProPublica|February 23, 2021|ProPublica
It is also clear having the trial, even with an acquittal, was important.
Impeachment trial worth holding for history|Peter Rosenstein|February 18, 2021|Washington Blade
Over 13 months from the initial disclosure to the president’s acquittal on impeachment charges, the Dow rose almost 20 percent.
Stocks drive higher, brushing aside worries about U.S. stability|David J. Lynch|January 14, 2021|Washington Post

He became famous in the county court for a streak of acquittals that some say reached into the seventies.
Leaving the Grace of This World|Brad Rassler|December 10, 2020|Outside Online
Skoller relates how lucky he was for a hung jury—the final, deadlocked vote was eleven to one, for acquittal.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His mother was beaming and seemed to take the acquittal as a vindication.
Why NYPD Couldn’t Cook The ‘Cannibal Cop’|Michael Daly|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One month and three days after the acquittal, Tupac was born.
Tupac and Murray Kempton: The Godfather Who Wore Tweed|Michael Daly|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, this same high court threw out the acquittal in the first place, so Knox may need more than luck to walk free.
Italian Judge Explains Why Amanda Knox Did It|Barbie Latza Nadeau|April 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even Bieber's ridiculous statement won't destroy a dismissal or acquittal for faulty probable cause.
How Justin Bieber Can Beat His DUI|Eboni K. Williams|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The persecuted minister obtained both a complete acquittal, and a signal revenge.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
The acquittal of the Girondists would have given them some little hope that they also might find mercy.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
Could she obtain a triumphant acquittal, through the force of her own integrity, she would greatly exult.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
The strongest man in Paris would be howled down by the mob if he attempted to procure her acquittal.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner
Ugly had left the country a decade ago, following his acquittal for petty thieving.
David Lannarck, Midget|George S. Harney

British Dictionary definitions for acquittal

acquittal

/ (əˈkwɪtəl) /

noun

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

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for acquittal

acquittal

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

acquittal

Origin of acquittal

OTHER WORDS FROM acquittal

Words nearby acquittal

Words related to acquittal

How to use acquittal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for acquittal

Cultural definitions for acquittal