exculpate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   formal: to clear a person from blame, guilt, or an accusation

   The newly discovered letter exculpated her from any role in the fraud.

From Medieval Latin exculpare, 'to free from blame,' formed from Latin ex- ('out of, away from') + culpa ('fault or blame'). It is the semantic opposite of inculpate and shares the culpa root with culpable, culprit, and exculpatory.

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