exonerate
/ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪɡˈzɑːnəreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt eg-/ (ame, mw)
exonerate — verb
- exoneratepresent simple I / you / we / they
- exonerateshe / she / it
- exoneratedpast simple
- exonerating-ing form
1. to declare in an official way that a person had no part in the wrongdoing they w
to declare in an official way that a person had no part in the wrongdoing they were accused of, so their reputation and legal record are restored.
New DNA evidence finally exonerated Vinícius after twelve years in prison.
exonerate + [person]; passive-like result reading
The internal report exonerated Christopher from the charge of leaking client emails.
exonerate + [person] + from + [accusation]
Two witnesses came forward and exonerated Beatrix of any role in the warehouse fire.
Hyun was fully exonerated by the bank's own surveillance footage of that afternoon.
The court refused to exonerate the driver, even though traffic cameras showed nothing unusual.
- acquit
specifically a court verdict of not guilty; narrower than exonerate
- absolve
broader — covers moral, religious, or formal blame; not always tied to an investigation
- clear
everyday-register synonym; 'clear someone's name' is the common phrasing
- vindicate
stresses that a person's stance or character is proven right, not just blame-free
- convict
the legal opposite — find someone guilty
- incriminate
show that someone was involved in wrongdoing
- blame
general-register opposite
文法句型
exonerate + [person]
exonerate + [person] + from/of + [accusation]
be exonerated by + [evidence/source]
用法筆記
Frequently passive (be exonerated by/of/from). Subject is usually an official source — a court, jury, investigation, evidence, or report — not a casual opinion. Distinguish from 'forgive': exonerating someone says they were never guilty; forgiving someone accepts that they were guilty but pardons them.