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

The national high court has acquitted the Colombian singer of tax fraud and ordered the Treasury to repay the money plus interest to her.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

But in January 1977, after four days of testimony and 3½ hours of deliberations, Longet was acquitted of the felony charge and convicted of a misdemeanor charge of negligent homicide.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

He told me he had been annoyed at the No Kings protesters blocking traffic, but he was glad Gamble had been acquitted.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

The bakers were all acquitted last year, but their plight sparked debate across France.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

“It’s over for those two boys, that’s for sure. Once you’re acquitted of a crime, you can’t be tried for it again.”

From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe