acquittal

American  

[uh-kwit-l] / əˈkwɪt l /

noun

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 Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• nonacquittal noun
• preacquittal noun
• proacquittal adjective

Etymology

Origin of acquittal

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English a(c)quitaille, from Anglo-French; equivalent to acquit + -al ²

Example Sentences

Prosecutors had challenged the acquittal of one of the two people found not guilty, lawyer Lawrence Lau.

From Barron's

Six have gone to trial, including five for assault on a federal officer, and all have resulted in acquittals.

From Los Angeles Times

An acquittal was also "highly unlikely" given ample evidence, he added.

From Barron's

Aside from the Bronstein case, the others ended in an acquittal or a hung jury.

From Los Angeles Times

Some people wanted to see Simpson punished, while others viewed his acquittal as vindication, however meager, for decades’ worth of societal abuse.

From Salon