Word: exonerate

Associations

"Exonerate" means to clear someone from blame or fault, especially after careful consideration.

• Example 1: The new evidence helped to exonerate him from the charges. (This means he was proven innocent.)
• Example 2: After reviewing the case, the committee decided to exonerate the accused person. (This indicates they found no fault.)
• Example 3: The investigation was able to exonerate the officer involved in the incident. (This shows that the officer was cleared of responsibility.)

A common synonym for "exonerate" is "absolve." The main difference is that "absolve" often refers to forgiving someone from moral wrongdoing, while "exonerate" focuses on legal or factual clearing of charges.

Substitution

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like:

• "clear of charges" – Similar, but more specific to legal cases.
• "vindicate" – Also means to prove someone right, but carries a sense of justification.
• "acquit" – Specifically means freeing someone from a legal charge after a trial.

Deconstruction

The word "exonerate" comes from Latin "exonerare," where "ex" means "from" and "onerare" means "to burden." So, the word literally means "to remove a burden." The idea is to free someone from a burden of blame or responsibility.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you or someone you know was wrongly blamed for something?
• How does it feel to be exonerated after being wrongly accused?
• In what situations can you imagine needing to exonerate someone?