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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

exonerate

Verb

IPA /ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/

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Meaning in plain English

To officially clear someone of blame for something they were believed or accused to have done.

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Pronunciation

exonerate/ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/

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  1. An employee is blamed for an error

  2. An investigation checks the facts

  3. The employee is officially cleared

To exonerate someone is to clear them of blame.

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  1. The investigation exonerated our neighbour after the missing money was found.
  2. An independent review exonerated the employee of responsibility for the error.

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To officially clear someone of blame for something they were believed or accused to have done.
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exonerate — To officially clear someone of blame for something they were believed or accused to have done.

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To officially clear someone of blame for something they were believed or accused to have done.

Compare: The investigation exonerated our neighbour after the missing money was found.

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Word origin

From Latin exonerare, meaning to remove a burden, from ex- and onus, meaning burden.

Did you know?

Exonerate someone of blame and exonerate someone from responsibility are established patterns.

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exonerate

/ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/ (Verb)

“This formal verb usually involves findings or evidence that clear someone, rather than a personal apology.”

englishskillstudio.com