Adjacent Words

Exonerate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EXON'ERATE, v.t. egzon'erate. [L. exonero; ex and onero, to load, onus, a load.]
1. To unload; to disburden.
The vessels exonerate themselves into a common duct.
But more generally, in a figurative sense.
2. To cast off, as a charge or as blame resting on one; to clear of something that lies upon the character as an imputation; as, to exonerate one's self from blame, or from the charge of avarice.
3. To cast off, as an obligation, debt or duty; to discharge of responsibility or liability; as, a surety exonerates himself by producing a man in court.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges" [syn: acquit, assoil, clear, discharge, exonerate, exculpate] [ant: convict]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (-ated; -ating) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin exoneratus, past participle of exonerare to unburden, from ex- + oner-, onus load Date: 1524 1. to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship 2. to clear from accusation or blame Synonyms: see exculpate • exoneration noun • exonerative adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (often foll. by from) 1 free or declare free from blame etc. 2 release from a duty etc. Derivatives: exoneration n. exonerative adj. Etymology: L exonerare exonerat- (as EX-(1), onus, oneris burden)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Exonerate Ex*on"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Exonerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Exonerating.] [L. exoneratus, p. p. of exonerare to free from a burden; ex out, from onerare to load, onus load. See Onerous.] 1. To unload; to disburden; to discharge. [Obs.] All exonerate themselves into one common duct. --Ray. 2. To relieve, in a moral sense, as of a charge, obligation, or load of blame resting on one; to clear of something that lies upon oppresses one, as an accusation or imputation; as, to exonerate one's self from blame, or from the charge of avarice. --Burke. 3. To discharge from duty or obligation, as a ball. Syn: To absolve; acquit; exculpate. See Absolve.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(exonerates, exonerating, exonerated) If a court, report, or person in authority exonerates someone, they officially say or show that that person is not responsible for something wrong or unpleasant that has happened. (FORMAL) The official report basically exonerated everyone... An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. VERB: V n, V n from n • exoneration They expected complete exoneration for their clients.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Exculpate, absolve, acquit, clear, justify, vindicate. 2. Release, absolve, discharge, exempt, except, free, let off.

Moby Thesaurus

absolve, acquit, amnesty, clear, decontaminate, destigmatize, disburden, discharge, dismiss, dispense from, exculpate, excuse, exempt, exempt from, forgive, free, give absolution, grant amnesty to, grant forgiveness, grant immunity, grant remission, justify, let go, let off, nonpros, pardon, purge, quash the charge, release, remit, set free, shrive, spare, vindicate, whitewash, withdraw the charge