exoneration
Americannoun
-
the act of clearing someone of blame or of an accusation or criminal charge.
I would like to highlight the importance of not only the release, but also the exoneration of political prisoners.
-
the act of relieving someone of an obligation or duty.
The granting of tax exemptions and exonerations is one of the most common types of influence peddling used by corrupt regimes.
Etymology
Origin of exoneration
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin exonerātiōn-, stem of exonerātiō “an unburdening, discharging,” equivalent to exonerāt(us) + -iō -ion ( def. ); see exonerate ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing exoneration
2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates wins the National Book Award
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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.
But the U.S. attorney’s office didn’t issue a public exoneration, and officials suggested they could restart the investigation at any time.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
"It will be Starmerism in a nutshell – an extraordinarily painful route to complete exoneration," they said.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
Such instant exoneration increases the likelihood that worse will happen next time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
But the sheer number of Spacey’s accusers suggests that his acquittal was hardly an exoneration.
From Salon • Oct. 20, 2025
Loli Regalado, while pleased with her exoneration, complains that putting Rogelio with the components at the state nursery is akin to dropping the fox off at the henhouse with a knife and fork.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
