noun

acquittal

acquittal, exoneration, discharge

The trial ended in an acquittal.

The trial ended in an acquittal.

He was hoping for a full acquittal.

He was hoping for a full acquittal.

((an acquittal)) a judgment that a person is not guilty The jury returned a verdict of acquittal.

Synonyms: exoneration, clearing, vindication; Antonyms: conviction, condemnation

From Old French 'acquiter' (to set free), from 'a-' (to) + 'quitte' (free, clear). Originally meant freeing from debt, later extended to legal contexts.

Think 'ac-quit-tal' – the court lets you 'quit' the trial as a free person.

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