Exonerate

 WORD OF THE DAY

exonerate / verb / ig-ZAH-nuh-rayt

Definition
1: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
2: to clear from accusation or blame

Examples
"The actor met with Sooner State oil rig workers who helped him prepare for his role in 'Stillwater' as a father desperate to exonerate his jailed daughter of a murder conviction in France."
— Peter Sblendorio, The Buffalo (New York) News, 1 Aug. 2021

Cooper has maintained his innocence throughout and has accused law enforcement of planting evidence and ignoring statements by witnesses that could have helped exonerate him.
— Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2021

Did You Know?
Exonerate derives via Middle English from the past participle of the Latin verb exonerare, meaning "to unburden," formed by combining the prefix ex- with onus, meaning "load" or "burden" (onus itself lives on with that meaning in English).
In its earliest uses, dating from the 16th century, exonerate was used in the context of physical burdens—a ship, for example, could be exonerated of its cargo when it was unloaded.
Later it was used in reference to any kind of burden, until a more specific sense developed, meaning "to relieve (someone) of blame."