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 Horner was exonerated a day before the first track action in Bahrain, with the release of a statement about an investigation into the allegations by the parent company, Red Bull GmbH. Twenty-four hours later, a bombshell dropped. Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 Knox and Sollecito were convicted of killing Kercher in 2009, had their convictions overturned in 2011 and were found guilty again in a retrial before finally being exonerated in 2015 by Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation, the highest court in the country. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 The deceased was released from his initial arrest in 2017 and exonerated in 2019. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Information that might exonerate him would assuredly disparage others. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 The court had the chance to exonerate Trump as an insurrectionist and chose not to do so, said CREW President Noah Bookbinder. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 He was released from prison in 2017 and exonerated in 2019, when investigators arrested 54-year-old Brian Dripps, who pleaded guilty and is serving a 20-year-to-life prison sentence. Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 22 Feb. 2024 Roberts was exonerated, as the Office of Professional Standards found her use of deadly force to have been objectively reasonable. Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2024 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

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 19 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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