exonerated

American  

[ig-zon-uh-rey-tid] / ɪgˈzɒn əˌreɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. having been cleared of an accusation or freed from blame.

   After years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit, the exonerated man walks out of the prison gates and into the light of day.

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noun

1. Usually the exonerated a person or persons who have been cleared of an accusation or freed from blame.

   She is currently the director of a nonprofit that advocates against the death penalty and for the exonerated.

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• unexonerated adjective

Etymology

Origin of exonerated

exonerate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

"He's been exonerated for a long time," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

"We are confident that when the facts come out, the Prince Group and its Chairman will be fully exonerated."

From Barron's • Nov. 12, 2025

Even if the innocent are exonerated, the process is the punishment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

Four federal investigations and a grand jury probe later, Baltimore’s colleague, and Baltimore himself, were exonerated.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

The Death Penalty Information Center reported that Walter was the fiftieth person to be exonerated in the modern era.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• clean