Exculpate
DNA results, alibis, and slow-motion replay all try to do the same job: show the accused room to breathe again.
Learn This WordMeaning
To clear from blame, fault, or guilt.
Memory trick
EX-CULPA-TE: out of culpa (fault), remove blame.
Examples
The security logs helped exculpate the engineer who was wrongly blamed.
New evidence may exculpate the suspect.
She did not try to exculpate herself by shifting blame.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin exculpare "free from blame," from ex- "out of" + culpa "fault."
Usage Notes
Formal and legal in tone; strongest when evidence clears responsibility.
Real-life contexts
Use in incident reviews: "Evidence exculpates ops from this outage."
Use in legal/policy context: "The report exculpated the team."
Use carefully: it sounds formal and judicial.
Common Mistakes
Exculpate is not a generic apology; it specifically means clear of fault.
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Start LearningQuick Facts
Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
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