exonerate

verb

ex·​on·​er·​ate ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
eg-
exonerated; exonerating

transitive verb

1
: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
2
: to clear from accusation or blame
exoneration noun
exonerative adjective

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Where does exonerate come from?

Exonerate comes from the Latin verb exonerare, meaning "to unburden." That verb combines the prefix ex- with onus, meaning "load" or "burden." In its earliest uses, exonerate was applied to physical burdens—a ship, for example, could be exonerated of its cargo when it was unloaded. Later it was used in reference to the freeing of any kind of burden, including blame or charges of wrongdoing.

Choose the Right Synonym for exonerate

exculpate, absolve, exonerate, acquit, vindicate mean to free from a charge.

exculpate implies a clearing from blame or fault often in a matter of small importance.

exculpating himself from the charge of overenthusiasm

absolve implies a release either from an obligation that binds the conscience or from the consequences of disobeying the law or committing a sin.

cannot be absolved of blame

exonerate implies a complete clearance from an accusation or charge and from any attendant suspicion of blame or guilt.

exonerated by the investigation

acquit implies a formal decision in one's favor with respect to a definite charge.

voted to acquit the defendant

vindicate may refer to things as well as persons that have been subjected to critical attack or imputation of guilt, weakness, or folly, and implies a clearing effected by proving the unfairness of such criticism or blame.

her judgment was vindicated

Examples of exonerate in a Sentence

the results of the DNA fingerprinting finally exonerated the man, but only after he had wasted 10 years of his life in prison
Recent Examples on the Web The Administration could have chosen to emphasize the fact that Biden, unlike Trump, had been exonerated, but Biden wanted to dispute Hur’s comments. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Video shows exonerated Broward man fighting deputy before fatal shooting Aldridge proceeds to take his Taser out of the holster and points it at Cure. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Indeed, at least 196 people sentenced to death in the United States since 1973 have been exonerated, 16 of them in Texas, according to the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center. Dakin Andone, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 The family of a Georgia man killed by a sheriff’s deputy in October, three years after he was exonerated and freed from prison, has filed a federal lawsuit against the sheriff’s office and the deputy. Char Adams, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Friendship goes a long way toward exonerating the production of its shameless indulgences. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 The final ruling from the NCAA’s outside enforcement arm on the FBI case came down in November 2022 and exonerated Pitino. Mike Fitzpatrick, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024 More than 130 people have been exonerated from death row, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2024 The lab’s assessments have also been used to help exonerate people who have been wrongly accused of a crime. David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exonerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin exoneratus, past participle of exonerare to unburden, from ex- + oner-, onus load

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exonerate was in 1524

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Cite this Entry

“Exonerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exonerate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exonerate

verb
ex·​on·​er·​ate ig-ˈzän-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
exonerated; exonerating
: to clear from a charge of wrongdoing or from blame : declare innocent
exoneration noun

Legal Definition

exonerate

transitive verb
ex·​on·​er·​ate ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt, eg- How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
exonerated; exonerating
1
: to relieve especially of a charge, obligation, or hardship
2
: to clear from accusation or blame compare acquit, exculpate
Etymology

Latin exonerare to relieve, free, discharge, from ex- out + onerare to burden, from oner-, onus load

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