acquit
UK[əˈkwɪt]US[əˈkwɪt]
v
to decide and state officially in court that somebody is not guilty of a crime
v
(acquit oneself) to perform or behave in a particular way, especially in a difficult situation
Morpheme Breakdown
ac
quit
ac
to, towards
quit
at rest, free
Etymology
the word 'acquit' entered english from old french 'aquiter', which itself derived from medieval latin 'acquietare', meaning 'to pay a debt' or 'to set free'. this latin verb is a compound of 'ad-' (to) and 'quietare' (to quiet, to set at rest), from 'quietus' (free, at rest). the core semantic logic evolved from the literal idea of settling an obligation or releasing someone from a claim, which in the legal context transformed into the formal release from a charge, declaring one free from guilt. the modern sense of 'conducting oneself' (as in 'acquit oneself well') retains the notion of discharging a duty or responsibility.
Analysis
Structure: ac + quit
ac- (latin ad-, meaning 'to, towards'), quit (latin quietus, meaning 'at rest, free')
Examples
the jury voted to acquit the defendant of all charges.
despite the pressure, she acquitted herself admirably during the debate.
the evidence was insufficient, so the court had no choice but to acquit him.