Definition

1. Noun:
   • A formal judgment or verdict that a person is not guilty of the crime they were charged with in a court of law. This is the official legal outcome following a trial where the prosecution fails to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Usage

• Acquittal is used primarily in legal contexts. It refers to the final decision or result of a trial, not the process or arguments.
• It is an uncountable noun when referring to the concept, but it can be countable when referring to specific instances (e.g., ).
• Common collocations include:

Examples

• The jury returned a verdict of acquittal after only three hours of deliberation.
• The defense attorney's brilliant strategy led to her client's acquittal.
• The prosecutor was disappointed by the acquittal but respected the jury's decision.
• His acquittal on all charges was a major news story.

Advanced Usage

• "Acquittal in the court of public opinion": A metaphorical phrase meaning that someone has been judged favorably or cleared of blame by popular sentiment, not by a legal court.
  • Despite the legal acquittal, he never achieved acquittal in the court of public opinion.

Variants and Related Words

• Acquit (verb): To formally and legally declare someone not guilty of a crime.
  • The jury acquitted the defendant of all charges.
• Acquitted (adjective): Describes a person who has been declared not guilty.
  • The acquitted man left the courtroom a free person.

Synonyms

• Exoneration: The act of officially absolving someone from blame; often implies being cleared of suspicion entirely.
• Vindication: The act of clearing someone of blame or suspicion, often providing proof of their innocence.
• Clearance: The act of officially declaring someone free from blame or suspicion.

Antonyms

• Conviction: A formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense.
• Guilty verdict: The finding by a jury that the defendant is guilty.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "A clean bill of health": While not a legal term, this idiom is sometimes used informally to mean a declaration that someone or something is free of faults or problems, similar to the concept of being cleared.
• "To be found not guilty": This is the verbal phrase that directly results in an acquittal. An acquittal is the of being found not guilty.

Noun

1. a judgment of not guilty