acquit
verb
Simple meaning
To discharge, release, or set free from a burden, duty, liability, or obligation, or from an accusation or charge.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhkwitSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əkˈwɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To discharge, release, or set free from a burden, duty, liability, or obligation, or from an accusation or charge.
transitive
To discharge (for example, a claim or debt); to clear off, to pay off; to fulfil.
Pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
transitive
To declare or find innocent or not guilty.
reflexive
To bear or conduct oneself; to perform one's part.
reflexive
To clear oneself.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To discharge, release, or set free from a burden, duty, liability, or obligation, or from an accusation or charge.
Beyond criminal charges, 'acquit' can also mean to free someone from a duty or obligation, often in a formal sense. It implies being cleared of responsibility or a burden, similar to 'exonerate' or 'release.'
- Emotional tone
- Slightly negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Historical texts
“The king was petitioned to acquit the prisoner of his debts.”
Formal declarations
“I will acquit myself of this task to the best of my ability.”
Figurative language
“Your excellent performance will acquit you of all past mistakes.”
Where it naturally appears
- Ethics/values
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.