exonerate

/ig'zɔnəreit/

Thân thiện

The jury's verdict served to exonerate the defendant completely.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To officially declare someone not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing: To free someone from blame or responsibility, especially after a formal legal process or investigation.
   • To relieve someone from a duty or obligation: To release someone from a task, burden, or responsibility.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:
  • The new evidence completely exonerated the defendant. (The new evidence proved the defendant was not guilty.)
  • After a thorough review, the committee exonerated the official of all misconduct. (The committee found the official free from blame for the misconduct.)
  • The investigation aims to exonerate the innocent. (The investigation aims to clear the names of innocent people.)

Advanced Usage

• "to exonerate someone from something": This structure specifies the blame or duty from which someone is freed.
  • The report exonerated the manager from responsibility for the financial loss. (The report cleared the manager of responsibility.)
• Passive Voice: Often used in passive constructions to describe the state of being cleared.
  • He was finally exonerated after years of wrongful imprisonment. (He was finally declared not guilty.)

Variants and Related Words

• Exoneration (noun): The act of exonerating or the state of being exonerated.
  • The campaign fought for his exoneration.
• Exonerative (adjective): Serving to exonerate.
  • The evidence was exonerative in nature.

Synonyms

• Acquit: To free someone from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty (specifically legal).
• Absolve: To set or declare someone free from blame, guilt, or responsibility.
• Vindicate: To clear someone of blame or suspicion, often providing justification.
• Clear: To prove someone's innocence; a more general term.

Antonyms

• Convict: To declare someone guilty of a criminal offense.
• Incriminate: To make someone appear guilty of a crime or fault.
• Accuse: To charge someone with an offense or crime.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "A complete exoneration": Used to emphasize that all blame has been removed.
  • The judge's ruling was a complete exoneration.
• "To be exonerated of all charges": A common legal phrase meaning cleared of every formal accusation.
  • The jury exonerated her of all charges.

Học thuật

Verb

1. pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
   • The suspect was cleared of the murder charges

Từ đồng nghĩa

• acquit
• assoil
• clear
• discharge
• exculpate