acquitted
C1Formal, legal, journalistic
Definition
Meaning
Formally declared not guilty of a criminal charge.
1) Fulfilled or carried out a duty or role; discharged a responsibility. 2) Conducted oneself in a specified manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in legal contexts for the 'not guilty' meaning. The 'conducted oneself' meaning is often followed by an adverb (e.g., 'acquitted himself well').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core legal meaning. The phrase 'acquitted oneself' (conducted oneself) is slightly more common in British formal/written English.
Connotations
In both varieties, carries strong connotations of a formal court process and exoneration.
Frequency
Higher frequency in jurisdictions with jury trials for serious offenses.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
BE acquitted (of something)acquit oneself (adverb)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “walk free (after being acquitted)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. May appear in reports on corporate litigation (e.g., 'The company was acquitted of fraud charges').
Academic
Common in legal, criminology, and political science texts discussing trial outcomes.
Everyday
Used in news reports about court cases. The 'conducted oneself' meaning is more literary.
Technical
Core term in legal jargon, referring to the final verdict of a trial.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The Crown Court acquitted the defendant due to lack of evidence.
- He acquitted himself admirably during the crisis.
American English
- The jury acquitted her of all charges after six hours of deliberation.
- She acquitted herself well in her first managerial role.
adjective
British English
- The acquitted man held a press conference outside the Old Bailey.
- An acquitted verdict does not always imply true innocence in the public's view.
American English
- The acquitted defendant sued the city for wrongful prosecution.
- The acquitted felon struggled to find employment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The news said the footballer was acquitted and can play again.
- He was acquitted because the witness changed her story.
- Despite the strong evidence, the jury surprisingly acquitted the accused, leading to public outrage.
- The CEO acquitted herself with great professionalism during the hostile takeover bid.
- Acquitted of corporate espionage, she nevertheless found her reputation in the industry irreparably damaged.
- The soldier acquitted himself with honour in the face of overwhelming enemy forces.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'ACQUITTED' sounds like 'A QUIT to guilt' – you quit or are freed from the accusation of guilt.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS A SCALE/BALANCE (being acquitted tips the scale towards innocence).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'приобретённый' (acquired). 'Acquitted' – оправданный. 'Acquired' – полученный, приобретённый.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'acquitted' without 'of' (e.g., 'He was acquitted murder' – INCORRECT; 'He was acquitted of murder' – CORRECT).
- Using it as a synonym for 'fired' from a job (incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'acquitted' used correctly in its extended, non-legal sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Acquitted' is a strictly legal term meaning a court found you 'not guilty.' 'Exonerated' is stronger; it means you have been cleared of blame *and* often implies your innocence has been officially proven, sometimes after a conviction is overturned.
Yes, in the formal/literary phrase 'acquit oneself,' meaning to perform or behave in a specified way (e.g., 'He acquitted himself well in the interview'). It cannot mean 'to leave a job' or 'to buy something.'
No. The standard preposition is 'of.' You are 'acquitted of' a crime or charge. Example: She was acquitted *of* perjury.
Not necessarily in a factual sense. Legally, it means the prosecution did not prove guilt 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' It signifies a 'not guilty' verdict, which is a legal status, not always a declaration of factual innocence.