acquitted

American  

[uh-kwit-id] / əˈkwɪt ɪd /

adjective

1. having been declared not guilty of a crime.

   The mayor extended condolences to the victim’s family, but also expressed empathy for the acquitted officers.

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noun

1. Usually the acquitted a person or persons who have been declared not guilty of a crime.

   None of the acquitted received any kind of compensation or redress.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of acquit.

Other Word Forms

• unacquitted adjective

Etymology

Origin of acquitted

acquit + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

An acquitted defendant is off the hook. If you're on trial for a crime and you're found "not guilty," then you're acquitted and you can go free. When you have been labeled acquitted, that means the jury has found you not guilty of the crime and legally blameless. The word gained notoriety in the highly publicized 1995 trial of the former football star O. J. Simpson, accused of murdering his wife and her friend. Simpson’s attorney’s mantra to the jury was "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit," referring to a glove connected to the murder.

Example Sentences

In eight instances, juries acquitted defendants at trial.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

On Friday, judges convicted 386 of them, while two were acquitted, eight were discharged, and the cases of 112 suspects were adjourned, officials said.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Reid, whose recordings were submitted to the court, was acquitted of the misdemeanor charge at trial.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Political observers say his chances of contesting the presidential race remain slim even if he is acquitted in the graft case.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

When the case came to trial, Goetz was easily acquitted on charges of assault and attempted murder.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell