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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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.
This constitutes an exoneration of Mr. Powell insofar as Mr. Horowitz finds no evidence of criminality or deliberate wrongdoing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Americans responded that no exoneration would be possible before their report was published.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
As in other federal assault cases, bystander videos as well as police-camera and surveillance footage cast doubt on agents’ claims, in some cases leading to the exoneration of citizens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
A mistake or exoneration may get documented, but those reports never completely go away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2025
"After the excitement has blown over and not more than six months after the trial, you will be freed with full presidential pardon and complete exoneration of all charges on which you will be tried."
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
