Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To clear of guilt or blame.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To clear from a charge or imputation of fault or guilt; vindicate from an accusation of wrong-doing.
  • Serve to relieve of or free from blame; serve as an excuse for.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To clear from alleged fault or guilt; to prove to be guiltless; to relieve of blame; to acquit.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To clear of or to free from guilt; exonerate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin exculpāre, exculpāt- : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin culpa, guilt.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin ex culpa (ex ("from") + culpa ("blame")) + a Latinate ending.

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Examples

  • If Stephen "exculpate"'d a little less, and "don't blame"'d a little more, he might lose the respect of his SCR but gain a wider audience.

    Stephen Tall on the Ming Speech Fallout 2007

  • Contrary to Chevron's assertions, Cabrera did not rule on the critical question of liability and did not "exculpate"

    FinanzNachrichten.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten 2010

  • Contrary to Chevron's assertions, Cabrera did not rule on the critical question of liability and did not "exculpate"

    FinanzNachrichten.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten 2010

  • Contrary to Chevron's assertions, Cabrera did not rule on the critical question of liability and did not "exculpate"

    FinanzNachrichten.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten 2010

  • While at first glance it appears to suffice, it's actually just another bad euphemism in a growing list of hackish politics-as-sports metaphors intended to deflect criticism and exculpate the news media when it clearly fails to effectively hold accountable our elected officials.

    Bob Cesca: Cable News Debate Coverage Is Hurting Democracy Bob Cesca 2011

  • While at first glance it appears to suffice, it's actually just another bad euphemism in a growing list of hackish politics-as-sports metaphors intended to deflect criticism and exculpate the news media when it clearly fails to effectively hold accountable our elected officials.

    Bob Cesca: Cable News Debate Coverage Is Hurting Democracy Bob Cesca 2011

  • In fact, mistaken eyewitnesses have played a role in 75% of the 273 DNA exonerations we've seen pop up steadily around the country in the last couple decades since we've learned the power of DNA to exculpate the innocent--and put away the guilty.

    Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism: Journalists: How You Can Localize the Troy Davis Story Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism 2011

  • From the paper Unless nearly two thirds of ordeal-o¢ ciating priests didn’t understand how to heat iron, the data clearly evidence priestly rigging intended to exculpate probands.

    Coyote Blog » Blog Archive » Trial By Ordeal 2010

  • While at first glance it appears to suffice, it's actually just another bad euphemism in a growing list of hackish politics-as-sports metaphors intended to deflect criticism and exculpate the news media when it clearly fails to effectively hold accountable our elected officials.

    Bob Cesca: Cable News Debate Coverage Is Hurting Democracy Bob Cesca 2011

  • While at first glance it appears to suffice, it's actually just another bad euphemism in a growing list of hackish politics-as-sports metaphors intended to deflect criticism and exculpate the news media when it clearly fails to effectively hold accountable our elected officials.

    Bob Cesca: Cable News Debate Coverage Is Hurting Democracy Bob Cesca 2011

Comments

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  • We invent our god to exculpate us when we find it necessary to perform the unpleasant act of killing those who invent their god when they find it necessary to perform the unpleasant task of killing us.

    Stefan Themerson, Tom Harris

    December 29, 2011