exculpate — to show or declare that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to show or declare that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈekskʌlpeɪt/
Example Sentences
- The CCTV footage completely exculpated the pizza delivery guy who was accused of stealing the neighbor's cat.
- His alibi of being stuck in an elevator for three hours helped exculpate him from the robbery charges.
- The DNA test results finally exculpated the man who had been wrongly imprisoned for 15 years.
exculpate
VERB[/ˈekskʌlpeɪt/]
to show or declare that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing

While the guilty man was locked in a dark cell, the new video evidence allowed the judge to easily exculpate the innocent suspect.

EX(out) + CULP(blame) + ATE(make) — deciding to ATE(make) all the CULP(blame) completely wash EX(out), the jury voted to exculpate the defendant.

Expecting a terrible, dark fate in prison, he cried with joy when the DNA results arrived to completely exculpate him.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'exculpatus,' the past participle of 'exculpare,' meaning 'to free from blame.' This combines the prefix 'ex-' (out) with 'culpa' (fault or blame).
Breakdown
ex- (out) + culp (blame, fault) + -ate (verb suffix) = exculpate (to free from blame)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The CCTV footage completely exculpated the pizza delivery guy who was accused of stealing the neighbor's cat.”
“His alibi of being stuck in an elevator for three hours helped exculpate him from the robbery charges.”
“The DNA test results finally exculpated the man who had been wrongly imprisoned for 15 years.”
“Her detailed diary entries exculpated her from accusations of being the office cookie thief.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.