The word acquitted means that a person who was accused of a crime was officially found not guilty by a court.
It is mainly used in legal situations. For example, if someone is charged with a crime and the court decides that the person is not guilty, the person is acquitted.
The word is the past tense and past participle of acquit.
You may see it in news reports, court documents, books, and everyday conversations about legal cases.
In simple words, acquitted means “found not guilty.” It does not necessarily mean that a court proved that nothing happened; it means the legal case did not result in a guilty finding.
What Does Acquitted Mean?
Acquitted means officially declared not guilty of a criminal charge by a court.
For example:
“The defendant was acquitted of the charges.”
This means the court found the defendant not guilty of those charges.
The word is usually connected with criminal trials and legal decisions.
Acquitted Meaning in Simple Words
In simple words, acquitted means found not guilty in court.
If a person is accused of a crime and goes to trial, the court may find the person:
- Guilty — the court finds the person legally responsible for the crime.
- Not guilty / acquitted — the court does not find the person guilty of the charge.
Quick Answer
Acquitted means officially found not guilty of a crime by a court. It is the past tense of acquit and is commonly used when discussing criminal trials and court decisions. For example, “She was acquitted of the charges” means the court found her not guilty of those charges.
Quick Meaning Table
| Term | Meaning |
| Acquitted | Found not guilty by a court |
| Simple meaning | Declared not guilty |
| Part of speech | Verb form |
| Base word | Acquit |
| Pronunciation | uh-KWIT-id |
| Common use | Law, courts, news, criminal cases |
| Example | “He was acquitted of the charges.” |
Different Meanings of Acquitted
The word acquitted has a specific legal meaning.
1. Found Not Guilty
The most common meaning is that a court found someone not guilty of a criminal charge.
Example:
“The jury acquitted the defendant.”
This means the jury reached a not-guilty decision.
2. Released From a Criminal Charge
In some contexts, saying someone was acquitted can also communicate that the person was cleared of the specific criminal charge in that case.
However, acquittal should not automatically be understood as proof that every allegation was false. It refers to the legal outcome of the charge before the court.
Acquitted Meaning in Law
In legal language, an acquittal is a formal outcome in which the defendant is found not guilty of the criminal charge.
For example:
“The defendant was acquitted of murder.”
This means the defendant was found not guilty of that charge.
The exact legal effect of an acquittal can vary by jurisdiction and legal procedure, so the word should be understood in the context of the particular court system.
Acquitted Meaning in Texting
Acquitted is not common texting slang. People usually use it when talking about a real or fictional legal case.
Someone might text:
“He was acquitted today.”
This means the person was found not guilty in court.
Acquitted Meaning on Social Media
On social media, acquitted often appears in posts about court cases, criminal trials, celebrities involved in legal cases, or fictional stories.
For example:
“The defendant was acquitted after the trial.”
The word still has its normal legal meaning. It does not become a special social-media slang term.
How to Pronounce Acquitted
Acquitted is pronounced:
uh-KWIT-id
It sounds similar to:
“uh-quit-id”
The base word acquit is pronounced:
uh-KWIT
Origin of Acquitted
Acquitted comes from the verb acquit, which entered English through Anglo-French and Old French legal language.
The word has long been associated with the idea of clearing someone from an accusation, obligation, or charge.
Today, its most common use is in the legal sense of finding someone not guilty of a criminal charge.
Acquitted vs. Acquittal
These words are closely related but have different grammatical roles.
Acquitted is usually a verb form describing what happened to a person.
Example:
“The defendant was acquitted.”
Acquittal is the noun for the legal decision or outcome.
Example:
“The court issued an acquittal.”
So:
Acquit → Acquitted → Acquittal
Acquitted vs. Convicted
These terms describe opposite legal outcomes in a criminal case.
Acquitted: The defendant is found not guilty.
Convicted: The defendant is found guilty.
Example:
“The defendant was acquitted of one charge but convicted of another.”
This means the court reached different decisions on different charges.
Acquitted vs. Innocent
These words are often confused.
Acquitted means a court found the defendant not guilty of the criminal charge.
Innocent can have a broader meaning and may describe someone who did not commit an act.
A legal acquittal is specifically about the court’s finding on a criminal charge. It should not automatically be treated as a general statement about every fact or allegation surrounding a case.
How to Use Acquitted in a Sentence
Here are some natural examples:
- The defendant was acquitted of the charges.
- The jury acquitted him after the trial.
- She was acquitted because the prosecution did not establish guilt.
- The court acquitted the defendant of the criminal charge.
- He was acquitted after several days of hearings.
- The accused was acquitted of all charges brought against him in that case.
- The jury returned a verdict that acquitted the defendant.
- The actor was acquitted in the fictional courtroom scene.
- The defendant was acquitted of one charge but convicted of another.
- The news report said that the court had acquitted the defendant.
Conversation Examples
Conversation 1
A: What happened in the trial?
B: The defendant was acquitted.
A: So the court found the defendant not guilty?
B: Yes.
Conversation 2
A: I saw that word in a news article. What does “acquitted” mean?
B: It means the person was found not guilty of the criminal charge.
Synonyms and Similar Words
Depending on the context, words and phrases related to acquitted include:
- Found not guilty
- Cleared of the charge
- Exonerated
- Released from the accusation
- Vindicated
However, these words are not always exact legal synonyms.
Exonerated, for example, can have a broader meaning than being acquitted in one particular criminal trial.
Common Confusions
Acquitted vs. Convicted
Acquitted = found not guilty.
Convicted = found guilty.
Acquitted vs. Arrested
Being arrested means a person has been taken into legal custody in connection with an alleged crime. It does not mean the person has been found guilty.
A person can be arrested and later acquitted.
Acquitted vs. Charged
Being charged means a person has formally been accused of a crime through the legal process.
Being acquitted means the court later found the person not guilty of the relevant charge.
Acquitted vs. Released
Being released does not always mean someone was acquitted. A person can be released for many legal reasons without the case ending in an acquittal.
Is Acquitted a Negative Word?
No. Acquitted is a neutral legal term describing a court outcome.
It does not itself mean that someone committed a crime or that someone was completely cleared of every allegation. It specifically describes being found not guilty of a particular criminal charge.
FAQs
1. What does acquitted mean?
Acquitted means that a person accused of a crime was officially found not guilty by a court. It is commonly used when describing the result of a criminal trial.
2. What does acquitted mean in simple words?
In simple words, acquitted means found not guilty. A court or jury decides that the defendant has not been found guilty of the criminal charge.
3. Is acquitted the same as not guilty?
In a legal context, an acquittal means the defendant received a not-guilty finding on the relevant criminal charge. The exact legal rules surrounding acquittals can vary by jurisdiction.
4. What is the opposite of acquitted?
The commonly contrasted legal outcome is convicted, which means a defendant has been found guilty of a criminal charge.
5. What is the noun form of acquitted?
The noun form is acquittal. An acquittal refers to the legal outcome in which a defendant is found not guilty.
6. What does “acquitted of charges” mean?
“Acquitted of charges” means the court found the defendant not guilty of the specified criminal charges.
7. Can someone be acquitted of some charges but convicted of others?
Yes. A case can involve multiple charges, and the court or jury may reach different decisions on different charges.
8. Does acquitted mean the person is proven innocent?
Not exactly. Acquitted means the person was found not guilty of the specific criminal charge. It is a legal outcome and should not automatically be treated as a broader factual finding about every allegation.
9. What is the difference between acquitted and arrested?
Arrested refers to being taken into legal custody in connection with an alleged crime. Acquitted refers to a later legal finding that the person is not guilty of a criminal charge.
10. How do you use acquitted in a sentence?
You can say, “The defendant was acquitted of the charges.” This means the defendant was found not guilty of those charges.
Conclusion:
Acquitted means officially found not guilty of a criminal charge by a court.
It is the past form of acquit and is commonly used in legal documents, court reports, news stories, and conversations about trials.
Remember the simple difference: acquitted means not guilty, while convicted means guilty.
An acquittal relates to the specific charge being decided by the court and should not automatically be interpreted as a statement about every allegation surrounding a case.
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