acquittal

Where does the word "acquittal" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin acquietare, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Acquittal’s story begins in Medieval Latin: acquietare meant “to set free, to satisfy a claim.” To satisfy a debt, to set free, from ad- (to) and quietus (at rest). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as aquiter. Carried into French legal vocabulary for discharging an obligation or clearing a charge. It reached English by 1400s as acquittal. Settled as the English word for a formal clearing of a criminal charge. Today, acquittal means a formal declaration that a person is not guilty of a charged offense.

1. Stage 1 · Medieval Latin · medieval acquietare "to set free, to satisfy a claim", to satisfy a debt, to set free, from ad- (to) and quietus (at rest).
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval aquiter "to discharge, to clear of a charge", carried into French legal vocabulary for discharging an obligation or clearing a charge.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s acquittal "a formal declaration that a defendant is not guilty", settled as the English word for a formal clearing of a criminal charge.