Meaning & use

exonerated

adjective·Advanced

Officially cleared of blame, guilt, or suspicion for a wrongdoing.

See it in a sentence

After new DNA evidence surfaced, the wrongly convicted man was finally exonerated.

The audit left the accountant fully exonerated of any financial misconduct.

A note on using this word

Exonerated is stronger than 'acquitted': acquittal means a court did not find enough evidence to convict, while exonerated implies positive proof of innocence.

Words with a similar meaning

clearedvindicatedabsolved

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

convictedcondemned

Make it your own

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