Meaning & use
Exculpate
Last updated
To clear someone of blame or guilt for a fault or wrongdoing.
See it in a sentence
New DNA evidence exculpated the man who had spent a decade in prison.
The report exculpated the pilot, attributing the crash to mechanical failure.
A note on using this word
Exculpate combines the Latin prefix ex- ('out of') with culpa ('blame'), the same root found in 'culprit' and 'culpable.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
incriminateimplicate
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