MEANING
1. To formally find someone not guilty of a charge.
2. To behave or perform in a way that is evaluated, especially as in acquit yourself well.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- acquit a defendant
- acquit of a charge
On the page
The court acquitted the defendant of the charge.
She had been acquitted before the letter became public.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- acquit
- Past tense
- acquitted
- Past participle
- acquitted
- Present participle
- acquitting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- acquit
- Present continuous
- am/is/are acquitting
- Present perfect
- have/has acquitted
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been acquitting
- Past
- acquitted
- Past continuous
- was/were acquitting
- Past perfect
- had acquitted
- Past perfect continuous
- had been acquitting
- Future
- will acquit
- Future continuous
- will be acquitting
- Future perfect
- will have acquitted
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been acquitting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: acquit; acquits; acquitted; acquitted; acquitting Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: acquits.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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