exculpation

ex·cul·pate

E0268300 (ĕk′skəl-pāt′, ĭk-skŭl′-)tr.v. ex·cul·pat·ed, ex·cul·pat·ing, ex·cul·pates To clear of guilt or blame.

[Medieval Latin exculpāre, exculpāt- : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin culpa, guilt.]

ex·cul′pa·ble (ĭk-skŭl′pə-bəl) adj.ex′cul·pa′tion n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	exculpation - a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"excuse, self-justification, alibivindication, defense, defence - the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory"extenuation, mitigation - a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances
	2.	exculpation - the act of freeing from guilt or blamepardon, forgiveness - the act of excusing a mistake or offense

nounA freeing or clearing from accusation or guilt:exoneration, vindication.Law: acquittal.