Meaning & use
acquit
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitivelegal
To officially decide in court that someone is not guilty of a crime.
Grammar: Takes a person as object, often in be acquitted of: be acquitted of theft.
Patterns
- acquit someone of something
- be acquitted of a charge
- the jury acquitted
The jury acquitted the driver of reckless endangerment.
After two trials, he was acquitted of all charges.
verbtransitive or intransitiveformal
To perform or behave in a particular way, especially competently, in a difficult situation.
Grammar: Used reflexively: acquit oneself well; not about legal guilt.
Patterns
- acquit oneself well
- acquit oneself with dignity
She acquitted herself well under tough questioning.
The young team acquitted itself with dignity in the final.
Word forms
| third person singular | acquits |
|---|---|
| past tense | acquitted |
| past participle | acquitted |
| -ing form | acquitting |
Common combinations
- acquit someone of murder
- The court acquitted the defendant of murder.
- acquit oneself admirably
- He acquitted himself admirably in his first debate.
- unanimously acquit
- The jury voted to unanimously acquit after reviewing the evidence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exonerate
- Exonerate means clear from blame; acquit is the formal court verdict of not guilty.
- clear
- Clear is informal and broader; acquit is specific to criminal judgment.
- discharge
- Discharge can mean release from court or duty; acquit specifically declares not guilty.
- conduct
- Conduct fits the reflexive sense: acquit oneself means conduct oneself.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: acquit or acquire?
acquit vs acquire
Acquire means gain; acquit means declare not guilty or conduct oneself.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Legal pattern is acquit someone of a charge. Options 1 and 2 reverse or add wrong prepositions, and option 4 confuses acquit with acquire.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “acquit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.