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The act of acquitting; discharge from debt or obligation; acquittance.

An acquittal, or sentence of a judge declaring and accused person innocent. [Obs.]

as, to absolve a subject from his allegiance; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. Macaulay.

Acquittal. [Obs.] Milton.

Act of assoiling, or state of being assoiled; absolution; acquittal.

The state of being discharged or relieved of a debt, obligation, office, and the like; acquittal. Too secure of our discharge From penalty. Milton.

taining a lesser offense in one of a greater grade, so that on the latter there can be an acquittal, while on the former there can be a conviction. -- Di*vis"i*ble*ness, n. -- Di*vis"i*bly, adv.

of our efforts to know. Sir W. Hamilton. Doubt, in order to be operative in requiring an acquittal, is not the want of perfect certainty (which can never exist in any question of fact) but a defect of proof preventing a reasonable assurance of quilt. Wharton.

ochs of time were used. Usher. Great epochs and crises in the kingdom of God. Trench. The acquittal of the bishops was not the only event which makes the 30th of June, 1688, a great epoch in history. Macaulay.

The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation. Pleading so wisely in excuse of it. Shak.