Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Declared not guilty of a specific offense or crime; legally blameless: The word "acquitted" describes the legal status of a person who has been formally found not guilty of the charges brought against them in a court of law.

Usage

• "Acquitted" is used to describe the outcome of a trial where the defendant is found not guilty.
• It is typically used in legal and formal contexts, often following verbs like "was," "were," or "has been."
• It can be followed by the preposition "of" to specify the charges from which the person was cleared (e.g., acquitted of murder).

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The defendant was acquitted on all charges due to lack of evidence.
  • After a lengthy trial, she was finally acquitted.
  • The court acquitted him of all wrongdoing. (Here, "acquitted" is the past tense of the verb "acquit," used in the passive voice to describe his status.)

Advanced Usage

• "To stand acquitted": A formal legal phrase meaning to be in a state of having been declared not guilty.
  • He stands acquitted before the law.
• Used in passive constructions to emphasize the legal action taken.
  • They were acquitted by a jury of their peers.

Variants and Related Words

• Acquit (verb): To free or clear someone from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty.
  • 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.
  • The case ended in an acquittal.

Synonyms

• Exonerated: Officially absolved from blame.
• Cleared: Freed from a charge or suspicion.
• Vindicated: Cleared of blame or suspicion.

Antonyms

• Convicted: Found guilty of a criminal offense.
• Condemned: Pronounced guilty; sentenced.

Related Phrases

• Acquitted by reason of insanity: A specific verdict where a defendant is found not guilty because they were legally insane at the time of the crime.
  • The jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity; therefore, he was acquitted.

Adjective

1. declared not guilty of a specific offense or crime; legally blameless
   • he stands acquitted on all charges
   • the jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity