Definition

Noun: 1. A written receipt or document that serves as legal proof that a debt or obligation has been paid in full. It formally releases the debtor from any further claim regarding that specific debt. 2. (Archaic) The action of releasing someone from a debt or obligation; acquittal.

Usage

• The primary modern use is in legal and financial contexts to refer to the document itself.
• It is a formal term, not commonly used in everyday conversation.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The bank issued an acquittance after the final mortgage payment was received.
  • Before selling the property, the lawyer requested the acquittance for the old utility bill.
  • (Archaic) The acquittance of his debt brought him great relief.

Advanced Usage

• "To take an acquittance": To receive a formal discharge from a debt.
  • The debtor sought to take an acquittance from the creditor.

Variants and Related Words

• Acquit (verb): To free or clear someone from a charge, obligation, or duty.
  • The jury voted to acquit the defendant.
• Acquittal (noun): A judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which they have been charged. (Note: This is now the standard legal term for being cleared of criminal charges, whereas relates primarily to financial debts).

Synonyms

• Receipt: A written acknowledgment that something has been received, especially money.
• Discharge: The action of releasing someone from an obligation.
• Release: A document effecting a discharge from an obligation.
• Quittance: (Formal/Archaic) A discharge from a debt or obligation; an acquittance.

Antonyms

• Indebtedness: The state of owing money.
• Obligation: A duty or commitment.
• Liability: The state of being responsible for something, especially a debt.

Notes

• In contemporary legal and financial language, terms like "paid in full receipt," "release," or "satisfaction of debt" are more commonly used than . is considered a somewhat formal or historical term.

Noun

1. a legal document evidencing the discharge of a debt or obligation