EXONERATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does exonerate mean? 

• EXONERATE (verb)
  The verb EXONERATE has 1 sense:

1. pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

  Familiarity information: EXONERATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXONERATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they exonerate    ... he / she / it exonerates   
Past simple: exonerated   
Past participle: exonerated   
-ing form: exonerating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

acquit; assoil; clear; discharge; exculpate; exonerate

Context example:

The suspect was cleared of the murder charges

Hypernyms (to "exonerate" is one way to...):

judge; label; pronounce (pronounce judgment on)

"Exonerate" entails doing...:

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "exonerate"):

vindicate (clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof)

whitewash (exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data)

purge (clear of a charge)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody of something

Sentence example:

They want to exonerate the prisoners

Derivation:

exoneration (the act of vindicating or defending against criticism or censure etc.)

exoneration (the condition of being relieved from blame or obligation)

exonerative (providing absolution)

 Context examples 

Nor, to this day can I permit my manhood to look back upon those events and feel entirely exonerated.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

She reproached herself for her share of the ill feeling and resolved to exonerate Amy as soon as possible.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

From school duties she was exonerated: Mrs. Fairfax had pressed me into her service, and I was all day in the storeroom, helping (or hindering) her and the cook; learning to make custards and cheese-cakes and French pastry, to truss game and garnish desert-dishes.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)