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Acquit vs Excuse - What's the difference?

acquit | excuse | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between acquit and excuse

is that acquit is to declare or find not guilty; innocent while excuse is to forgive; to pardon.

As a noun excuse is

an explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment.

acquit

English

Alternative forms

* acquite (archaic)

Verb

  • To declare or find not guilty; innocent.
  • * '>citation
  • 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 , , The Duenna
    • His poverty, can you acquit him of that?
  • * 1837 , , “Lord Bacon” in The Edinburgh Review , July 1837
    • If 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
  • * , line 1071
    • Till life to death acquit my forced offence.
  • To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite, to fulfill.
  • * , 1200
    • ‘Aquyte him wel, for goddes love,’ quod he;
  • * 1640 , , Tasso
    • Midst foes (as champion of the faith) he ment / That palme or cypress should his painees acquite .
  • * 1836 , , Orations I-382
    • I 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 , ” in Essays: second series
    • We 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.
  • * , III-ii
    • Pray 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.
  • * November 2 2014 , Daniel Taylor, " Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
    • Van Gaal responded by replacing Adnan Januzaj with Carrick and, in fairness, the emergency centre-half did exceedingly well given that he has not played since May. McNair also acquitted himself well after Rojo was injured sliding into a challenge with Martín Demichelis
  • * 1766 , , The vicar of Wakefield , xiv
    • Though 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.
  • * , I-vii-52
    • Till I have acquit your captive Knight.
  • (archaic)
  • * , I-iii
    • I am glad I am so acquit of this tinder box.

    Synonyms

    * absolve * clear * exonerate * innocent * exculpate * release * discharge

    Derived terms

    * acquital, acquittal

    Antonyms

    * (to declare innocent) condemn, convict

    References

    * * English irregular past participles ----

    excuse

    English

    Verb

    (excus)
  • To forgive; to pardon.
    • I excused him his transgressions.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I must excuse what cannot be amended.
  • * Archbishop Sharp
    • A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practising it, if really and indeed it be against God's law.
  • To allow to leave.
    • May I be excused from the table?
    I excused myself from the proceedings to think over what I'd heard.
  • To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement.
    • You know he shouldn't have done it, so don't try to excuse his behavior!
  • To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
  • * Bible, 2. Corinthians xii. 19
    • Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you?

    Synonyms

    * forgive, let off the hook, let pass, pardon, unguilt

    Derived terms

    * excuse me * excuse my French

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment.
    • Tell me why you were late – and I don't want to hear any excuses !
  • (legal) A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which legal consequences would normally be appropriate, but asserts that special circumstances relieve that party of culpability for having done those acts.
  • An example.(attention)
    • That thing is a poor excuse for a gingerbread man. Hasn't anyone taught you how to bake?
    He's a sorry excuse of a doctor.

    Usage notes

    * We often say to make an excuse.

    Synonyms

    * (explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment ): pretext

    External links

    * * English heteronyms ----