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Absolved

/əbˈzɑːlvd/

verbB2past tense

Definition

To be absolved means someone says you are not guilty or responsible for a mistake or bad action. It often happens after a careful decision or judgment, like in a court or a serious talk. When you are absolved, you no longer have to feel guilty or take blame.

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⚡ See It in Action

Officially declared free from guilt or blame

  • •The court absolved him of all charges.
  • •She was absolved after the investigation showed she was innocent.
  • •The priest absolved the sinner during confession.

Freed from responsibility for a mistake or problem

  • •The company was absolved of responsibility for the accident.
  • •He was absolved when the truth came out.

🧲 Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of 'absolved' like 'free' (A1 word), but for guilt or blame—like being set free from feeling bad or responsible
  • ✓Picture a judge or teacher saying, 'You did nothing wrong,' and you feel a big weight lifted off your shoulders
  • ✓It's the relief you feel when someone tells you, 'It’s not your fault,' after you worried about a problem
  • ✓Sounds like 'ab-SOLVED' → imagine a big problem being 'solved' and you are no longer part of it
  • ✓Think of stories where a character is forgiven and no longer punished after proving their innocence
  • ✓NOT like 'punished' (you get blame or penalty), 'absolved' means no blame at all
  • ✓NOT like 'apologize' (you say sorry), 'absolved' means others say you are not guilty, no need to say sorry
  • ✓NOT like 'excuse' (which can mean to ignore a mistake), 'absolved' means a clear and official removal of blame

🔄 Try Other Words

  • •Cleared: declared free from blame (Use when talking about official or legal situations)
  • •Exonerated: officially declared not guilty (Use in formal or legal contexts, often stronger than absolved)
  • •Forgiven: accepted apology and no longer angry (Use in personal or emotional contexts)

🔍 Unboxing

  • •Prefix 'ab-' means 'away from' or 'off'
  • •Root 'solve' means 'to loosen' or 'to free'
  • •'Absolve' literally means 'to free away' from blame or guilt
  • •Comes from Latin 'absolvere,' meaning to set free or acquit
  • •First used in English in the 15th century, mostly in religious and legal contexts
  • •Today, used both in formal law and in everyday language about forgiveness or blame

💭 Reflect & Connect

•When have you felt absolved from a mistake or problem? How did it change your feelings?
•Can someone be absolved even if others still think they are responsible? Why or why not?

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:

1.After the trial, he was absolved ___ all charges because there was no proof.
2.Being absolved often brings a feeling of ___ and relief from worry.
3.She was absolved ___ responsibility when new evidence showed she was not involved.
4.Unlike being punished, being absolved means you are ___ blamed for the problem.
5.The priest absolved him ___ his sins during the confession ceremony.
6.When a person is absolved, they do not need to ___ for what happened.
7.Sometimes, people want to be absolved not only legally but also ___ by their friends and family.