Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense acquits, present participle acquitting, past tense, past participle acquitted
1. verb [usually passive]
If someone is acquittedof a crime in a court of law, they are formally declared not to have committed the crime.
Mr Ling was acquitted of disorderly behaviour by magistrates. [beVERB-ed + of]
Synonyms: clear, free, release, deliver More Synonyms of acquit
2. verb
If you acquityourself well or admirably in a particular situation, other people feel that you have behaved well or admirably.
[formal]
Most officers and men acquitted themselves well throughout the action. [V pron-refl adv]
More Synonyms of acquit
acquit in British English
(əˈkwɪt)
verbWord forms: -quits, -quitting or -quitted(transitive)
1. (foll by of)
a.
to free or release (from a charge of crime)
b.
to pronounce not guilty
2. (foll by of)
to free or relieve (from an obligation, duty, responsibility, etc)
3.
to repay or settle (something, such as a debt or obligation)
4.
to perform (one's part); conduct (oneself)
Derived forms
acquitter (acˈquitter)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French aquiter, from quiter to release, free from, quit
acquit in American English
(əˈkwɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: acˈquitted or acˈquitting
1.
to release from a duty, obligation, etc.
2.
to clear (a person) of a charge, as by declaring him not guilty; exonerate
3.
to bear or conduct (oneself); behave
4. Archaic
to pay (a debt or claim)
SIMILAR WORDS: abˈsolve, beˈhave
Derived forms
acquitter (acˈquitter)
noun
Word origin
ME aquiten < OFr aquiter, to free < ML acquitare, to settle a claim < L ad-, to + quietare: see quiet
Examples of 'acquit' in a sentence
acquit
That all journalists charged are now acquitted is no surprise.
The Sun (2016)
Although all but one were acquitted of treason charges, others were found guilty of murder and spent years in prison.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
Six other soldiers were also acquitted of all charges linked to the case.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He was acquitted of one charge of obtaining a money transfer by deception.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But he was acquitted on three charges of soliciting murder and one of stirring up racial hatred.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He was acquitted and released from custody.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Three other defendants were found not guilty and one was acquitted.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The change of story led to the officer being acquitted as the court martial collapsed.
The Sun (2016)
Many had been acquitted in courts or served their sentences.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But the officers were acquitted at court the following year.
The Sun (2014)
He was acquitted of 11 charges this year and will not face another trial.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The incident occurred 16 years ago but the officers had been acquitted by lower courts.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A few people acquitted themselves well in this case.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
All are acquitted and released.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Four were acquitted, one was committed to a psychiatric hospital and others were given from five years to life in prison.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The Cyprus court acquitted two other British men of all charges.
The Sun (2013)
He was fined 500 for contempt of court on Monday after the trial collapsed and the defendants had to be formally acquitted.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Ten pleaded guilty to growing the drugs but the other four, who denied the charges, were acquitted when the site owner refused to testify against them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
acquit
British English: acquit VERB
If someone is acquitted of a crime in a court of law, they are formally declared not to have committed the crime.
He was acquitted of disorderly behaviour by magistrates.
American English: acquit
Brazilian Portuguese: absolver
Chinese: 宣判…无罪
European Spanish: absolver
French: acquitter
German: freisprechen
Italian: assolvere
Japanese: 放免する
Korean: 무죄를 선언하다
European Portuguese: absolver
Latin American Spanish: absolver
Chinese translation of 'acquit'
acquit
(əˈkwɪt)
vt
(= clear)
to acquit sb (of sth) (Law) 宣判某人(无(無)罪) (xuānpàn mǒurén (wúzuì))
to acquit o.s. well/badly (frm) 表现(現)良好/不好 (biǎoxiàn liánghǎo/bù hǎo)
1 (verb)
Definition
to pronounce someone not guilty
He was acquitted of disorderly behaviour by magistrates.
Synonyms
clear
In a final effort to clear her name, she is writing a book.
free
It will free us of a whole lot of debt.
release
He wants to be released from any promise between us.
deliver
Mercifully, I was delivered from that pain.
excuse
She was excused from her duties for the day.
relieve
He felt relieved of a burden.
discharge
You are being discharged on medical grounds.
liberate
How committed is the leadership to liberating its people from poverty?
vindicate
The director said he had been vindicated by the expert's report.
exonerate
The official report exonerated the school of any blame.
absolve
The judicial inquiry absolved the soldiers.
exculpate
Opposites
charge
,
sentence
,
blame
,
condemn
, convict,
damn
,
find guilty
2 (verb)
Synonyms
pay off
pay
If you cannot pay your debts, you can file for bankruptcy.
settle
I settled the bill for my coffee and his two glasses of wine.
satisfy
discharge
The goods will be sold in order to discharge the debt.