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Webster 1913 Edition


Acquit

Ac-quit′

,
p.
p.
Acquitted; set free; rid of.
[Archaic]
Shak.

Ac-quit′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Acquitted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Acquitting
.]
[OE.
aquiten
, OF.
aquiter
, F.
acquitter
;
[GREEK]
(L.
ad
) + OF.
quiter
, F.
quitter
, to quit. See
Quit
, and cf.
Acquiet
.]
1.
To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite.
A responsibility that can never be absolutely
acquitted
.
I. Taylor.
2.
To pay for; to atone for.
[Obs.]
Shak.
3.
To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge; – now followed by of before the charge, formerly by from;
as, the jury
acquitted
the prisoner; we
acquit
a man of evil intentions.
4.
Reflexively:
(a)
To clear one’s self.
Shak.
(b)
To bear or conduct one's self; to perform one's part;
as, the soldier
acquitted
himself well in battle; the orator
acquitted
himself very poorly.
Syn. – To absolve; clear; exonerate; exonerate; exculpate; release; discharge. See
Absolve
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Acquit

ACQUIT'

,
Verb.
T.
[L. cedo.]
To set free; to release or discharge from an obligation, accusation, guilt, censure, suspicion, or whatever lies upon a person as a charge or duty; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions. It is followed by of before the object; to acquit from is obsolete. In a reciprocal sense, as, the soldier acquitted himself well in battle, the word has a like sense, implying the discharge of a duty or obligation. Hence its use in expressing excellence in performance; as the orator acquitted himself well, that is, in a manner that his situation and public expectation demanded.

Definition 2024


acquit

acquit

See also: acquît

English

Alternative forms

  • acquite (archaic)

Verb

acquit (third-person singular simple present acquits, present participle acquitting or acquiting, simple past and past participle acquitted or acquited)

  1. To declare or find not guilty; innocent.
    • 1856, Mrs. William Busk, Mediæval Popes, Emperors, Kings, and Crusaders: Or, Germany, Italy and Palestine, from A.D. 1125 to A.D. 1268, volume IV, London: Hookham and Sons, OCLC 2480341, page 294:
      The new accusation brought by Urban against Manfred of murdering his sister-in-law's embassador – it may be observed that, tacitly, he acquits him of parricide, fratricide, and nepoticide – requires a little explanation.
  2. (followed by “of”, formerly by “from”) 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 Duenna
      His poverty, can you acquit him of that?
    • 1837, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “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.
  3. (obsolete, rare) To pay for; to atone for
  4. To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite, to fulfill.
    • 1482 (earliest extant version), Geoffrey Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, Book II, 1200
      Aquyte him wel, for goddes love,’ quod he;
    • 1640, Thomas Carew, Tasso
      Midst foes (as champion of the faith) he ment / That palme or cypress should his painees acquite.
    • 1836, Edward Everett, 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, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Experience” 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.
  5. (reflexive) To clear one’s self.
  6. (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, Oliver Goldsmith, 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.
  7. (obsolete) To release, set free, rescue.
  8. (archaic) past participle of acquit

Synonyms

Derived terms

Antonyms

Translations

References

  • acquit in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1914

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.ki/

Verb

acquit

  1. third-person singular past historic of acquérir