verb · neutral
acquit
/əˈkwɪt/a·QUIT
to declare someone not guilty of a crime after a trial
Examples
“The jury acquitted him after less than an hour of deliberation.”
“She was acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence.”
“It’s rare for someone to be acquitted when multiple witnesses identify them.”
Band 8 sentence
“Given the inconsistencies in the witness accounts, the judge eventually acquitted the defendant.”
Collocations
- acquit someone of a crime
- be acquitted on all charges
- acquittal from the charges
Word family
Common mistakes
acquit someone from the charge→acquit someone of the charge
acquit = release/prison release→acquit = declare not guilty; release/on parole = cho thả tự do (vẫn có thể có kỷ luật khác)
Say it for a higher band
5free→6clear→7+acquit
Synonyms
exonerate
clear
Easily confused
convict
“Although the defense argued vigorously, the jury convicted him of fraud.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Crime & Law
Learn it with its set