noun

acquittal

acquittal

The jury reached a verdict of acquittal.

The jury reached a verdict of acquittal.

He was granted a full acquittal.

He was granted a full acquittal.

((of sb.)) an official decision that (sb.) is not guilty of a crime The trial ended in an acquittal for the defendant.

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

From Old French 'acquiter' (to free), from 'a-' (to) + 'quite' (free, clear). It means to declare someone free of a charge.

Think 'ac-QUIT-tal' – the person is allowed to QUIT the trial and go free.

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