exonerate
Americanverb (used with object)
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exonerates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exonerated,
past participle, past
-
exonerating
present participle
verb
-
to clear or absolve from blame or a criminal charge
-
to relieve from an obligation or task; exempt
Synonym Usage
See absolve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exoneratesimple
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exoneratessimple
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have exoneratedperfect
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has exoneratedperfect
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am exoneratingprogressive
-
are exoneratingprogressive
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is exoneratingprogressive
-
have been exoneratingperfect progressive
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has been exoneratingperfect progressive
Past
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exoneratedsimple
-
had exoneratedperfect
-
was exoneratingprogressive
-
were exoneratingprogressive
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had been exoneratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exonerate
First recorded in 1515–25; late Middle English, from Latin exonerātus (past participle of exonerāre “to unburden, discharge”), equivalent to ex- “out of, from; thoroughly” + oner- (stem of onus ) “a burden” + -ātus past participle suffix; see ex- 1, -ate 1
Explanation
To exonerate someone is to declare him not guilty of criminal charges. This word is pretty much only used in reference to proceedings in a court of law. A word with a similar meaning that might be familiar is “acquit.” When your next door neighbor was arrested for painting smiley faces on the front doors of all the houses on your block, evidence to exonerate him was discovered when the police found a young hooligan from the next street over with a basement full of paint canisters. The verb comes from the Latin exonerat-, meaning “freed from burden.” A criminal charge is certainly a burden, and when you're exonerated, you're freed from that burden.
Vocabulary lists containing exonerate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Federal officials stressed that this did not suddenly exonerate the lettuce.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
These numbers exonerate this summer’s usual suspects of the long-run crime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
"We must not exonerate from all responsibility the seven decades that followed independence," he told the magazine, calling on African leaders to improve governance.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
Sapna also questioned why it took four years to exonerate Sougat when his DNA sample did not match the profile found at the crime scene.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
But then I remember that Caleb is still there, because he was a well-known lackey of Jeanine Matthews, and the factionless will never exonerate him.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Thomas and Gorsuch expressed serious doubts that the statute actually exonerates platforms for “deliberately structuring” in a way that could “facilitate” illegal and dangerous activity.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
An Oklahoma judge exonerates a man who spent nearly 50 years in prison on murder charges, the longest serving inmate to be declared innocent of the crime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2024
"The report exonerates me of all responsibility," Almagro, who had seen the findings, told Reuters in an emailed statement.
From Reuters ● Apr. 17, 2023
In their early exchanges, the two discussed the death of George Floyd a month earlier, and the Innocence Project, which exonerates wrongfully convicted individuals.
From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2021
I can think of no answer that exonerates me.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Only once before has an executed person been exonerated posthumously by a state entity.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
These include cases in which the men were exonerated through DNA or blood evidence and others in which police are accused of fabricating evidence.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
It pointed to a recent decision by the High Court in London that largely exonerated Renault and four other carmakers from charges that the devices were designed to cheat clean air laws.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne said she had been "exonerated" of the accusation that she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
He was exonerated, because two other employees who were supposed to be supervising the kids with him had not turned up for work.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Only in 1906, after many twists, did the high court of appeal overturn the original verdict, exonerating Dreyfus.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
Parliament later passed a law exonerating all those who had been convicted.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2025
Washington decided to issue the first executive clemency in 1795, exonerating “all persons guilty of the said treasons.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2025
The audit suggested exonerating her of the policy violation because she “only acted under extreme circumstances and because of her actions she provided valuable assets to the officers and valuable information in identifying the shooter.”
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2024
—You have done yourself credit by exonerating Queen Elizabeth from a charge the easiest to bring, and the most difficult to rebut, implying the proof of a negative; and therefore frequently brought by the unprincipled.
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