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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
exonerate
verb
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ But he was not exonerated either.
▪ But the signature of all his creditors was needed to exonerate him.
▪ However, there was no attempt to exonerate the reputation of the dead man.
▪ I certainly have no intent of exonerating anybody.
▪ Sometimes he punished himself when others were inclined to exonerate him.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Exonerate

Exonerate \Ex*on"er*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Exonerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Exonerating.] [L. exoneratus, p. p. of exonerare to free from a burden; ex out, from onerare to load, onus load. See Onerous.]

  1. To unload; to disburden; to discharge. [Obs.]

    All exonerate themselves into one common duct.
    --Ray.

  2. To relieve, in a moral sense, as of a charge, obligation, or load of blame resting on one; to clear of something that lies upon oppresses one, as an accusation or imputation; as, to exonerate one's self from blame, or from the charge of avarice.
    --Burke.

  3. To discharge from duty or obligation, as a bail.

    Syn: To absolve; acquit; exculpate. See Absolve.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
exonerate

mid-15c., from Latin exoneratus, past participle of exonerare "remove a burden, discharge, unload," from ex- "off" (see ex-) + onerare "to unload; overload, oppress," from onus (genitive oneris) "burden" (see onus). Related: Exonerated; exonerating.

Wiktionary
exonerate

vb. 1 (context transitive now rare English) To relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load). 2 (context obsolete reflexive English) Of a body of water, to discharge (oneself), empty oneself. 3 (context transitive English) To free from an obligation, responsibility or task. 4 (context transitive English) To free from accusation or blame.

WordNet
exonerate

v. pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges" [syn: acquit, assoil, clear, discharge, exculpate] [ant: convict]

Usage examples of "exonerate".

It was the same argument Freud would use to exonerate himself from blame for the arrival of this new addictive substance.

This was due to the cruelty of the Princess Dowager and Lord Bute and this time the King could not be exonerated.

When the house of lords took into consideration the several estimates of the expense occasioned by the forces in the pay of Great Britain, earl Stanhope, at the close of an elegant speech, moved for an address, to beseech and advise his majesty, that in compassion to his people, loaded already with such numerous and heavy taxes, such large and growing debts, and greater annual expenses than the nation at any time before had ever sustained, he would exonerate his subjects of the charge and burden of those mercenaries who were taken into the service last year, without the advice or consent of parliament.

The brigadier will be exonerated from the death of Mr Sep Verner, but is a declared bankrupt.

American royalism would have been inconceivable without the determination of the general and his closest aides to exonerate the emperor of all war responsibility, even of moral responsibility for allowing the atrocious war to be waged in his name.

Bienville, the brother, also deserves remembrance both in France and America--dismissed once but exonerated, returning later to succeed the pessimistic Cadillac and to lay the foundations of New Orleans on the only dry spot he had found on his first journey up the river, there to plant the seed of the fruits and melons and pumpkins of the garden on Dauphin Island, that were to bring forth millionfold, though they have not yet entirely crowded out the cypress and the palmetto, and the fleur-de-lis that still grows wild and flowers brilliantly at certain seasons.

Pickney in consequence of the publication of the letter to Coxe, Adams fully exonerated, in a published letter, both Pickney and his brother from any suspicion which his letter to Coxe might seem calculated to convey.

There was no process of law involved, nor did the proscribed man have the right to trial, presentation of exonerating evidence, or any kind of hearing to protest his innocence.

I was exonerated after the Liberation and decorated and promoted for my role in helping the Resistance, but I did wear the collabo uniform.

The sensational evidence, brought to light during the trial, forced Police Inspector Momento to exonerate completely the Anarchists from any connection with the acts committed during a long period.

We have a number of suspects and a theory, but nothing that exonerates Craig.

Reminding Burnett of the new state law that allowed inmates to seek retesting of evidence that might exonerate them, Stidham asked for a hearing on his motion.

I heard some of the prisoners go so far as to exonerate the Confederate Government from any charge of intentionally subjecting them to a protracted confinement, with its necessary and unavoidable sufferings, in a country cut off from all intercourse with foreign nations, and sorely pressed on all sides, whilst on the other hand they charged their prolonged captivity upon their own Government, which was attempting to make the negro equal to the white man.

This led to the killing of three Italians, to trials in which jurors of the community exonerated the strikers, and bitter feelings between Italians and other organized workers.

Former member of the Collaborationist police, exonerated and decorated for her secret services to the Resistance.