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.

Verb

(en verb)

To forgive.

* 1599 : (William Shakespeare),

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, / That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!

* 1815 : (Jane Austen), (Emma)

I hope you will not find he has outstepped the truth more than may be pardoned , in consideration of the motive.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned .}}

To refrain from exacting as a penalty.

* Shakespeare

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.

(legal) To grant an official pardon for a crime; unguilt.

* 1900', , ' (The House Behind the Cedars) , Chapter I,

The murderer, he recalled, had been tried and sentenced to imprisonment for life, but was pardoned by a merciful governor after serving a year of his sentence.