What does "acquit" mean?
To declare or find innocent or not guilty.
Acquit
/əˈkwɪt/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To declare or find innocent or not guilty.
- Grammar: acquit is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: clear, exonerate, absolve, act.
- Useful contrasts: damning, deserving, goddamned.
- Usage evidence: For lack of evidence proving him guilty, the jury had no choice but to acquit Tom.
How to use "acquit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "acquit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "acquit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "acquit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "acquit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "acquit" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "clear" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "acquit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To declare or find innocent or not guilty. transitive
"[W]hen God ſaith of himſelfe, that he is one who acquiting will not acquite the wicked, his meaning is, that whatſoeuer may be ſuppoſed becauſe of his patience, yet he will not fully and finally diſcharge thoſe who goe on ſtill in their vngodly courſes, and preſume vpon his Mercy, without repentance."
- 2 behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself wordnet
- 3 To discharge (for example, a claim or debt); to clear off, to pay off; to fulfil. transitive
"Although it pleaſed you this other night (occasion by me unhappily miniſtred) to intertaine time with an ordinarie profeſſion of love, yet (maſter Rinaldo) you doe both me and your ſelfe great injurie to continue your needleſſe labour with ſuch importunancie to me. […] Thus muche (being your firſte attempt) I thought it good to anſwere, leaſt you ſhould think with needleſſe niceneſſe I acquited your courteſies."
- 4 pronounce not guilty of criminal charges wordnet
- 5 to discharge, release, or set free from a burden, duty, liability, or obligation, or from an accusation or charge. transitive
"The jury acquitted the prisoner of the charge."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 To bear or conduct oneself; to perform one's part. reflexive
"The soldier acquitted herself well in battle."
- 7 To clear oneself. reflexive
"God forbid any Malice ſhould preuayle, / That faultleſſe may condemne a Noble man: / Pray God he may acquit him of ſuſpicion."
- 8 past participle of acquit. archaic, form-of, participle, past, transitive
"Well I am glad I am ſo acquit of this tinder Boy.^([sic – meaning Box]) / His ſtealth was too open, his filching was like / An vnskilfull ſinger, he kept not time."
- 9 To release, to rescue, to set free. obsolete, transitive
"But be of cheare, and comfort to you take: / For till I haue acquitt your captiue knight, / Aſſure your ſelfe, I will you not forſake."
- 10 To pay for; to atone for. obsolete, rare, transitive
"For me I am the miſtreſſe of my fate, / And with my treſpaſſe neuer will diſpence, / Till life to death acquit my forſt offence."
Antonyms
Example
"For lack of evidence proving him guilty, the jury had no choice but to acquit Tom."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "acquit"?
Common synonyms include: clear, exonerate, absolve, act, assoil, behave.
How do you use "acquit" in a sentence?
For lack of evidence proving him guilty, the jury had no choice but to acquit Tom.
How do you pronounce "acquit"?
Pronounced /əˈkwɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle English aquī̆ten (“to give in return; to pay, repay; to redeem (a pledge, security), to make good (a promise); to make amends; to relieve of an obligation; to acquit, clear of a charge; to free; to deprive of; to do one's part, acquit oneself; to act, behave (in a certain way)”), from Old French aquiter (“to act, do”) and Medieval Latin acquitāre (“to settle a debt”), from ad- (“to”) + quitare (“to free”), equivalent to a- + quit. Doublet of acquiet; also related to quit, quiet and acquiesce.