exonerate
verb
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Where does exonerate come from?
Exonerate comes from the Latin verb exonerare, meaning "to unburden." That verb combines the prefix ex- with onus, meaning "load" or "burden." In its earliest uses, exonerate was applied to physical burdens—a ship, for example, could be exonerated of its cargo when it was unloaded. Later it was used in reference to the freeing of any kind of burden, including blame or charges of wrongdoing.
Examples of exonerate in a Sentence
Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
The 1992 riots, which erupted after the four police officers on trial for beating King were exonerated, stretched on for several days and led to burnt down buildings, mass looting and the deaths of over 60 people, including several shot by police.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 June 2025
The bill also requires the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to provide the state’s attorney with any DNA evidence that could potentially exonerate someone alleged to have committed a crime.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2025
In a 31-page document obtained by Billboard on Thursday, Megan Thee Stallion’s legal team denied claims that there is any new evidence to exonerate Tory Lanez (legal name Daystar Peterson), who is serving a ten-year prison sentence for shooting Megan five years ago.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for exonerate
Cite this Entry
“Exonerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exonerate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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exonerate
verb
Legal Definition
exonerate
transitive verb
Latin exonerare to relieve, free, discharge, from ex- out + onerare to burden, from oner-, onus load
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