exonerate

/ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪɡˈzɑːnəreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt eg-/ (ame, mw)

exonerate — 動詞

  • 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

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

證明無罪

正式宣告某人未涉指控之事

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.

例句

New DNA evidence finally exonerated Vinícius after twelve years in prison.

新的 DNA 證據在 Vinícius 入獄十二年後，終於還他清白。

exonerate + [person]; passive-like result reading

The internal report exonerated Christopher from the charge of leaking client emails.

內部報告洗清了 Christopher 外洩客戶郵件的指控。

exonerate + [person] + from + [accusation]

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • 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.

常見錯誤

❌My friends exonerated me for being late.
✅My friends forgave me for being late.
💡exonerate is for formal clearing of blame, not casual forgiveness.
❌The judge exonerated the contract.
✅The judge exonerated the defendant.
💡the object must be a person (or sometimes a group), not a thing or an abstract concept.