acquittal

American  

[uh-kwit-l] / əˈkwɪt l /

noun

• acquittals
  plural

1. the act of acquitting; discharge.

2. the state of being acquitted; release.

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

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

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acquittal British  

/ əˈkwɪtəl /

noun

1. 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

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

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acquittal Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonacquittal
  noun
• preacquittal
  noun
• proacquittal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acquittals
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acquittal acquittals

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

Fuhrman’s involvement in the case was likely a “substantial factor” in Simpson’s acquittal, Douglas said, adding that the detective’s family was “suffering from his loss.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

Dennis Coronacion, chair of the political science department at Manila's University of Santo Tomas, told AFP before Cayetano's election he believed an acquittal was "highly possible" given the Senate's new makeup.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

Judge Summers responded to what’s ordinarily a pro forma motion before handing the case to the jury and, instead, issued what’s known as a directed verdict of acquittal, ending the case single-handedly, then and there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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

Unlike Simpson’s case, which ended in acquittals, the kidnapping attracted a new generation of amateur sleuths, livestreaming hours of content, conjecture and rumor each day to hundreds of thousands of online followers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

She appealed the verdict in the hope of clearing her name, while prosecutors also did so arguing that the sentence was too lenient and the acquittals were wrongful.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

Essayli’s prosecutors have seen four additional cases involving allegations of assault on a federal officer end in acquittals, a nearly unheard of losing streak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2026

But that narrow federal reprieve does not cleanse the stain of the state acquittals.

From Slate ● May 9, 2025

The fact that there are more convictions and fewer acquittals in England in proportion to the number of trials does not prove that the English system is better than ours.

From Crime: Its Cause and Treatment by Clarence Darrow