Acquittal
Etymology
From “acquit,” from Old French “aquiter” (to settle a debt, release, or discharge), from “a-” plus “quiter” (to free or release), from Latin “quietus” (at rest) — the same root as “quit” and “quiet.” To acquit is to set someone at rest, freed from the accusation.
noun · /uh-KWIT-uhl/
A court’s formal finding that a defendant is not guilty, clearing them of the charges.
What it names
The precise term for a criminal defendant winning — reach for it to name the verdict that ends the prosecution, and to see that it means “not proven guilty,” not necessarily “innocent.”
Example
The jury’s acquittal meant he walked free, though the whispers followed him for years.
Related idea
An acquittal is not a declaration of innocence but a finding that guilt was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt — a gap that explains how someone “found not guilty” can still lose a lower-bar civil suit over the same act.