Acquit

English

Verb

Acquit (third-person singular simple present acquits, present participle acquitting or acquiting, simple past and past participle acquitted or acquited)

1. To declare not guilty; innocent
2. (followed by “of”, formerly by “from”) To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge, to find not guilty.
3. (obsolete, rare) To pay for; to atone for
4. To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite, to fulfill.
5. (reflexive) To clear one’s self.
6. (reflexive) To bear or conduct one’s self; to perform one’s part.
7. (obsolete) To release, set free, rescue.
8. (archaic) Past participle of acquit, set free, rid of.

Adverbs for Acquit

unhesitatingly; legally; unexpectedly; unanimously; generously; triumphantly; entirely; constitutionally; legitimately; tolerantly; graciously; licitly; condescendingly; acquiescently; deferentially.

Synonyms for Acquit

absolve, clear, exonerate, exculpate, release, discharge, forgive, pardon, free, liberate, repay.

Antonyms for Acquit

convict, keep, hold, condemn, bind, defeat, doom, convince, repudiate, reprove, blame, censure, disapprove, denounce.

Derived terms

• acquital, acquittal

Thesaurus

absolve; amnesty; bear; carry; clear; comport; conduct; convict; decontaminate; demean; deport; destigmatize; discharge; dismiss; dispense from; exculpate; excuse; exempt; exempt from; exonerate; forgive; free; give absolution; go on; grant amnesty to; grant immunity; grant remission; justify; let go; let off; liberate; nonpros; pardon; pass sentence; penalize; purge; quash the charge; quit; release; remit; set free; shrive; vindicate; whitewash; withdraw the charge

Etymology

From Old English aquiten, Old French aquiter, French acquitter; (Latin ad) + Old French quiter (“to quit”), French quitter. See quit, and compare acquiet.

Alternative forms

• acquite (archaic)

Pronunciation

• enPR: ə-kwĭt, IPA: /əˈkwɪt/, SAMPA: /@"kwIt/
• Rhymes: -ɪt

Translations

discharge from an obligation

Bulgarian: освобождавам (bg), (от задължение) (bg) Dutch: vrijspreken (nl), kwijtschelden (nl), verlossen (nl)

Romanian: achita (ro) Spanish: absolver (es), exculpar (es)

obsolete, rare: pay for

Dutch: betalen (nl), afbetalen (nl)

discharge a claim or debt

Bulgarian: плащам (bg), дълг (bg) Dutch: afbetalen (nl), vervullen (nl), aflossen (nl)

Spanish: exculpar (es)

reflexive: clear one’s self

Bulgarian: държа се (bg)

Dutch: zich (nl) bevrijden (nl)

reflexive: perform one’s part

Dutch: vervullen (nl), zich (nl) bewijzen (nl)

obsolete: release, rescue

Bulgarian: освобождавам (bg) Dutch: bevrijden (nl), verlossen (nl), vrijlaten (nl) Portuguese: inocentar Turkish: aklamak German: freisprechen

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a.ki/

• Audio

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Verb

Acquit

1. third-person singular past historic of acquérir