acquittal

[uh-kwit-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.

acquittal

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

Other Word Forms

• nonacquittal noun
• preacquittal noun
• proacquittal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acquittal¹

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

Example Sentences

Spacey has denied all allegations, and the various lawsuits that stemmed from them ended up being dropped, dismissed, or resulted in his acquittal.

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He said governors were not aware, after that acquittal, that Kaddour-Cherif had further court dates on other matters.

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His office has taken two defendants in misdemeanor assault cases to trial, but both ended in acquittals.

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She said their acquittal "can provide that new sense of energy and hope" as there was a "long fight ahead" for the civil rights movement and supporters of Palestine in Singapore.

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But the sheer number of Spacey’s accusers suggests that his acquittal was hardly an exoneration.

Read more on Salon