Other forms: acquits
To acquit is to declare in court that the accused is not guilty. Acquit the defendant, acquitted of all charges, an acquittal.
Being acquitted is not the same as being proved innocent: it means the case was not proved to the required standard, and no court declares anybody innocent. To acquit yourself well is a separate idiom meaning to perform creditably.
1verbacquitTo declare in court that the accused is not guilty.
“The jury acquitted her of murder after hearing the new evidence.”
acquit is a legal decision.
Old French aquiter meant to settle a debt or release, from Latin ad plus quietare, to make quiet or settle.
Medieval Latin
acquitāre — to settle a debt
Old French
aquiter — to act, do
Middle English
aquiten — to give in return; to pay, repay; to redeem (a pledge, security), to make good (a promise); to make amends; to relieve of an obligation; to acquit, clear of a charge; to free; to deprive of; to do one's part, acquit oneself; to act, behave (in a certain way)
English, today
acquit
Built from
From Middle English aquiten (“to give in return; to pay, repay; to redeem (a pledge, security), to make good (a promise); to make amends; to relieve of an obligation; to acquit, clear of a charge; to free; to deprive of; to do one's part, acquit oneself; to act, behave (in a certain way)”), from Old French aquiter (“to act, do”) and Medieval Latin acquitāre (“to settle a debt”), from ad- (“to”) + quitare (“to free”), equivalent to a + quit. a doublet of acquiet; also related to quit, quiet and acquiesce.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA