exonerate

verb

ex·​on·​er·​ate ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
eg-
exonerated; exonerating
Synonyms of exoneratenext

transitive verb

1
: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
2
: to clear from accusation or blame
exoneration
ig-ˌzä-nə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
eg-
noun
exonerative
ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrā-tiv How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
eg-
adjective

Did you know?

Where does exonerate come from?

Exonerate comes from the Latin verb exonerare, meaning "to unburden." That verb combines the prefix ex- with onus, meaning "load" or "burden." In its earliest uses, exonerate was applied to physical burdens—a ship, for example, could be exonerated of its cargo when it was unloaded. Later it was used in reference to the freeing of any kind of burden, including blame or charges of wrongdoing.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for exonerate

exculpate, absolve, exonerate, acquit, vindicate mean to free from a charge.

exculpate implies a clearing from blame or fault often in a matter of small importance.

exculpating himself from the charge of overenthusiasm

absolve implies a release either from an obligation that binds the conscience or from the consequences of disobeying the law or committing a sin.

cannot be absolved of blame

exonerate implies a complete clearance from an accusation or charge and from any attendant suspicion of blame or guilt.

exonerated by the investigation

acquit implies a formal decision in one's favor with respect to a definite charge.

voted to acquit the defendant

vindicate may refer to things as well as persons that have been subjected to critical attack or imputation of guilt, weakness, or folly, and implies a clearing effected by proving the unfairness of such criticism or blame.

her judgment was vindicated

Examples of exonerate in a Sentence

the results of the DNA fingerprinting finally exonerated the man, but only after he had wasted 10 years of his life in prison
Recent Examples on the Web In 2002, the five men were exonerated of the crime when DNA linked another person to the attack. —Jaden Amos, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024 But the five were exonerated and their convictions tossed out in 2002, when DNA evidence was matched to a different man who confessed to the assaults. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 Since 1992, courts in at least 17 states and the US Army have exonerated 32 people convicted in shaken baby syndrome cases, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. —Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Those principles include preventing targets of a case from fleeing prosecution, curbing harassment of grand jurors and protecting witnesses and people who are exonerated. —Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exonerate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exonerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin exoneratus, past participle of exonerare to unburden, from ex- + oner-, onus load

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exonerate was in 1524

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries Near exonerate

exoner

exonerate

exoneree

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Exonerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exonerate. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

exonerate

verb
ex·​on·​er·​ate ig-ˈzän-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
exonerated; exonerating
: to clear from a charge of wrongdoing or from blame : declare innocent
exoneration
ig-ˌzän-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

exonerate

transitive verb
ex·​on·​er·​ate ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt, eg- How to pronounce exonerate (audio)
exonerated; exonerating
1
: to relieve especially of a charge, obligation, or hardship
2
: to clear from accusation or blame compare acquit, exculpate
Etymology

Latin exonerare to relieve, free, discharge, from ex- out + onerare to burden, from oner-, onus load

More from Merriam-Webster on exonerate

Nglish: Translation of exonerate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of exonerate for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

What does 'at large' mean?

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-hard-hat-hammer
Odd Jobs Quiz Work smarter, not harder, to figure out these occ...