acquit
/əˈkwɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈkwɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈkwit/ (ame, mw)
acquit — verb
- acquitpresent simple I / you / we / they
- acquitshe / she / it
- acquittedpast simple
- acquitting-ing form
1. to officially decide in a court of law that a person is not guilty of the crime
to officially decide in a court of law that a person is not guilty of the crime they were accused of, and therefore set them free from that accusation
The jury acquitted Ms. Okonkwo of all fraud charges after a three-week trial.
acquit + person + of + charge
Dr. Hernández was acquitted on both counts of embezzlement when the prosecution failed to produce solid evidence.
passive: be acquitted on [counts/charges]
Despite the strong public outcry, the court acquitted the two police officers of using excessive force.
After six hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict and acquitted the defendant of all three charges.
The judge directed the jury to acquit Mr. Yamashita because the key witness had changed her testimony completely.
- clear
less formal, can be used for non-legal situations too (e.g. 'cleared of suspicion')
- exonerate
broader in scope — can refer to clearing someone from blame by any authority, not only a court; more formal
- vindicate
carries a stronger sense that someone was proven right after doubt, not limited to criminal charges
- convict
the direct opposite — finding someone guilty in court
文法句型
acquit + person + of + crime
be acquitted of + crime
acquit + person + on + charge
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice (be acquitted of). The person acquitted is the object of the active verb or the subject of the passive verb. The crime appears after the preposition of.
常見錯誤
2. to perform in a particular way in a challenging situation, especially when peopl
to perform in a particular way in a challenging situation, especially when people are watching or judging you — for example, a student handling a tough exam, or a team playing under high pressure
Theo acquitted himself well in his first public speech, despite having very little time to prepare.
acquit + reflexive + adverb (oneself well)
The Watanabe family acquitted themselves bravely during the earthquake evacuation, helping their neighbours reach safety.
Most candidates acquitted themselves poorly in the final round of interviews due to the unusually difficult questions.
Kwame knew the exam would be hard, but he acquitted himself better than anyone in his class expected.
The young team acquitted itself admirably in the national tournament, reaching the semi-finals in their first season.
- perform
simpler and less formal; does not need a reflexive pronoun (e.g. 'performed well')
- conduct oneself
similar register and reflexive pattern; focuses more on behaviour than on handling pressure
文法句型
acquit + reflexive pronoun + adverb
acquit oneself well
acquit oneself admirably
用法筆記
This sense always requires a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) followed by an adverb that evaluates the behaviour. The most common adverb partner is well. The construction is formal and more typical of written British English than everyday conversation.