exculpatory
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of exculpatory
Explanation
Does the blood on the kitchen knife not match that on the accused's clothes? That's exculpatory evidence: anything that clears someone or something of guilt or blame is exculpatory. Exculpatory comes from the Latin word exculpat, meaning "freed from blame." The verb exculpate means to free from guilt or blame. Both words are used most often in a legal or technical sense rather than in everyday conversation — unless of course you're trying to show off.
Vocabulary lists containing exculpatory
Just Mercy
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Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
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Legal Lingo, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among them, we should require prosecutors to present exculpatory evidence in a case and to exclude evidence already ruled unconstitutional, which they currently do not have to.
From Slate • May 1, 2026
Concealing the use of such informants from the defense, as happened in Carruthers’ case, is a serious breach of a prosecutor’s obligation to disclose potentially exculpatory information.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
Mayes also requested exculpatory evidence, as requested by defendant and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
From Salon • Jan. 13, 2025
Gay evidently viewed the message as a smoking gun, exculpatory evidence that proved Garcia was a wannabe who worked for Shah, apparently without pay, because she wanted to be on reality TV.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2024
Supreme Court has long required that the prosecution disclose to the defendant anything that is exculpatory or that may be helpful to the defendant in impeaching a witness.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
