to relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty: They acquitted him of the crime. The jury acquitted her, but I still think she's guilty.
2.
to release or discharge (a person) from an obligation.
3.
to settle or satisfy (a debt, obligation, claim, etc.).
4.
to bear or conduct (oneself); behave: He acquitted himself well in battle.
5.
to free or clear (oneself): He acquitted himself of suspicion.
[Origin: 1200–50; ME aquiten < AF, OF a(c)quiter, deriv., with a(c)- ac-, of quite free of obligations < ML quit(t)us, L quiétusquiet1; cf. quit]
To conduct (oneself) in a specified manner: acquitted herself well during the interview.
Obsolete To repay.
[Middle English aquiten, from Old French aquiter : a-, to (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + quite, free, clear (from Medieval Latin quittus, variant of Latin quiētus, past participle of quiēscere, to rest; see kweiə- in Indo-European roots).]
c.1230, "to satisfy a debt" (either for oneself or on behalf of another), from O.Fr. acquitter "settle a claim," from à "to" + quite "free, clear" (see quit). Meaning "free from charges" is c.1386. Sense of "to discharge one's duty" is from c.1386.
pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges" [ant: convict]
2.
behave in a certain manner; "She carried herself well"; "he bore himself with dignity"; "They conducted themselves well during these difficult times" [syn: behave]
Ab*solve"\ (#; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Absolved; p. pr. & vb. n. Absolving.] [L. absolvere to set free, to absolve; ab + solvere to loose. See Assoil, Solve.]1. To set free, or release, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from the consequences of guilt or such ties as it would be sin or guilt to violate; to pronounce free; as, to absolve a subject from his allegiance; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. --Macaulay. 2. To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); -- said of the sin or guilt. In his name I absolve your perjury. --Gibbon. 3. To finish; to accomplish. [Obs.] The work begun, how soon absolved. --Milton. 4. To resolve or explain. [Obs.] "We shall not absolve the doubt." --Sir T. Browne. Syn: To Absolve, Exonerate, Acquit. Usage: We speak of a man as absolved from something that binds his conscience, or involves the charge of wrongdoing; as, to absolve from allegiance or from the obligation of an oath, or a promise. We speak of a person as exonerated, when he is released from some burden which had rested upon him; as, to exonerate from suspicion, to exonerate from blame or odium. It implies a purely moral acquittal. We speak of a person as acquitted, when a decision has been made in his favor with reference to a specific charge, either by a jury or by disinterested persons; as, he was acquitted of all participation in the crime.
Ac*qui"et\, v. t. [LL. acquietare; L. ad + quies rest. See Quiet and cf. Acquit.] To quiet. [Obs.] Acquiet his mind from stirring you against your own peace. --Sir A. Sherley.
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