acquitted

American  

[uh-kwit-id] / əˈkwɪt ɪd /

adjective

1. having been declared not guilty of a crime.

   The mayor extended condolences to the victim’s family, but also expressed empathy for the acquitted officers.

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noun

1. Usually the acquitted a person or persons who have been declared not guilty of a crime.

   None of the acquitted received any kind of compensation or redress.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of acquit.

Other Word Forms

• unacquitted adjective

Etymology

Origin of acquitted

acquit + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

An acquitted defendant is off the hook. If you're on trial for a crime and you're found "not guilty," then you're acquitted and you can go free. When you have been labeled acquitted, that means the jury has found you not guilty of the crime and legally blameless. The word gained notoriety in the highly publicized 1995 trial of the former football star O. J. Simpson, accused of murdering his wife and her friend. Simpson’s attorney’s mantra to the jury was "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit," referring to a glove connected to the murder.

Example Sentences

Following his trial in 2001 at Norwich Crown Court, he was acquitted by the jury.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Reid, whose recordings were submitted to the court, was acquitted of the misdemeanor charge at trial.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

A third defendant, Sandra Samane, was acquitted of both counts.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Earlier this week, Hunt and a third defendant in the case, Daniel Martin, were formally acquitted of the charge of murder after the prosecution offered no evidence against them.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

They acquitted Orestes, and with the words of acquittal the spirit of evil which had haunted his house for so long was banished.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton