Acquittal
/əˈkwɪtəl/
nounIntermediate📊CommonLegal
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
A formal judgment that someone is not guilty of a crime.
/əˈkwɪtəl/
nounneutralIntermediate
Legal
A judgment that someone is not guilty of a crime.
After a long trial, she received an acquittal.
💡 Simply: Saying someone is not guilty.
More Examples
2
The acquittal surprised many legal experts.
How It's Used
Legal
"The jury delivered a verdict of acquittal."
From Old French *aquiter, from Latin acquietare "to quiet, to satisfy," from ad- "to" + quietāre "to quiet." The legal sense developed over time.
The word's legal usage solidified over centuries, evolving from a more general sense of freeing or releasing someone from a claim.
Memory tip
Think of 'quit' - being set free from charges.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"to quiet, to satisfy"
acquittal of chargesunanimous acquittal
Common misspellings
aquitalaquittal
Practice
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written