Acquit
Pronunciation
- enPR: É™-kwÄt, IPA: /əˈkwɪt/
- Rhymes: -ɪt
Alternative forms
- acquite archaic
Origin
From Middle English aquiten, from Old French aquiter, equivalent to - + quit. See quit, and compare acquiet.
Full definition of acquit
Verb
- To declare or find not guilty; innocent.
- (followed by “ofâ€, formerly by “fromâ€) To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge.The jury acquitted the prisoner of the charge.
- 1775, Richard Sheridan, The DuennaHis poverty, can you acquit him of that?
- 1837, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Lord Bacon†in The Edinburgh Review, July 1837If he Bacon was convicted, it was because it was impossible to acquit him without offering the grossest outrage to justice and common sense.
- (obsolete, rare) To pay for; to atone for
- Shakespeare Lucrece, line 1071Till life to death acquit my forced offence.
- To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite, to fulfill.
- Chaucer Troilus|II, 1200‘Aquyte him wel, for goddes love,’ quod he;
- 1640, Thomas Carew, TassoMidst foes (as champion of the faith) he ment
That palme or cypress should his painees acquite. - 1836, Edward Everett, Orations I-382I admit it to be not so much the duty as the privilege of an American citizen to acquit this obligation to the memory of his fathers with discretion and generosity.
- 1844, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ҡin Essays: second seriesWe see young men who owe us a new world, so readily and lavishly they promise, but they never acquit the debt; they die young and dodge the account: or if they live, they lose themselves in the crowd.
- (reflexive) To clear one’s self.
- Shakespeare Henry 6-2|III, III-iiPray God he may acquit him of suspicion!
- (reflexive) To bear or conduct one’s self; to perform one’s part.The soldier acquitted himself well in battle.The orator acquitted himself very poorly.
- 1766, Oliver Goldsmith, The vicar of Wakefield, xivThough this was one of the first mercantile transactions of my life, yet I had no doubt about acquitting myself with reputation.
- (obsolete) To release, set free, rescue.
- Spenser Faerie Queene|I, I-vii-52Till I have acquit your captive Knight.
- (archaic) Past participle of acquit
- Shakespeare Wives|I, I-iiiI am glad I am so acquit of this tinder box.