| 释义 |
▪ I. exculpate, ppl. a.|ɛksˈkʌlpət|
[f. next: see -ate2.]
Declared guiltless; free from blame.
1814Cary Dante (Chandos) 227 These spirits stood exculpate. 1830W. Phillips Mt. Sinai iv. 163 Casting on his peers The burden of their mutual sin, Himself exculpate.
▪ II. exculpate, v.|ˈɛkskəlpeɪt, ɛksˈkʌlpeɪt|
[f. ex- prefix1 + L. culp-a blame + -ate3. Cf. It. scolpare, med.L. *exculpāre implied in exculpātio (Du Cange).]
1. trans. To free from blame; to declare free from guilt; to clear from an accusation or blame.
1656–81[see 1 b]. 1721in Bailey. 1758–9Lowth Life Wykeham v. 156 Men who had been.. punished in the parliament of 1376, and who had gotten themselves exculpated in the succeeding parliament. 1841James Brigand xx, She exculpates me from blame in this matter. 1850Grote Greece ii. lxii, The latter stood exculpated on both charges.
refl.1748Richardson Clarissa (J.), A good child will not seek to exculpate herself at the expence of the most revered characters. 1809–10Coleridge Friend (1865) 110 From this charge of inconsistency I shall best exculpate myself by the full statement of the third system. 1863Mrs. Oliphant Salem Ch. iv. 63 Poor Vincent made a hasty effort to exculpate himself from the soft impeachment.
†b. intr. for refl. Obs. rare.
1656–81Blount Glossogr., Exculpate, to cleer ones self of a fault. 1780Burke Corr. (1844) II. 315 To be over earnest in endeavours to exculpate, previous to accusation, would imply [etc.]. 1783― Rep. Affairs India Wks. XI. 326 Doubts whether the refusal to exculpate by oath can be used..to infer any presumption of guilt.
2. Of things:
†a. To serve as an excuse for; to justify. Obs. rare.
b. To furnish ground for exculpating. Const. from.
1706Phillips (ed. Kersey) s.v., Good meaning will never exculpate blind and Superstitious Devotion. 1783Burke Rep. Affairs India Wks. XI. 132 Evidence, which may tend to criminate, or exculpate, every person. 1875Farrar Seekers i. vi. 83 The tenor of his life has sufficient weight to exculpate him from an unsupported accusation. |