exonerated
Adjective: * Freed from any question of guilt; declared or proven not guilty. This word describes a person who has been officially cleared of blame or accusation, often after a formal process like a trial or investigation. It implies the removal of a burden of suspicion or charge.
- The new DNA evidence exonerated the man who had spent 20 years in prison.
- After a thorough review, the committee exonerated the employee of all misconduct allegations.
- She felt exonerated when the true culprit was finally found.
- To be exonerated from something: This prepositional phrase specifies the particular blame or charge from which one is cleared.
- The officer was fully exonerated from any wrongdoing in the internal affairs report.
- Exoneration (noun): The act of exonerating; the state of being exonerated.
- He fought for decades to achieve exoneration.
- Exonerate (verb): The action form of the word.
- The investigation served to exonerate the company.
- Absolved
- Acquitted
- Cleared
- Vindicated
- Exculpated
- Convicted
- Condemned
- Blamed
- Incriminated
- Charged
While exonerated, acquitted, and vindicated are close synonyms, they have subtle differences: * Exonerated strongly emphasizes being freed from blame and often implies the original accusation was entirely wrong. * Acquitted is a more technical legal term meaning found not guilty in a court of law, which may be due to lack of proof rather than proven innocence. * Vindicated carries a stronger sense of being proven right or justified after having one's actions or beliefs doubted.
- freed from any question of guilt
- is absolved from all blame
- was now clear of the charge of cowardice
- his official honor is vindicated