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Today it means

exonerate

to officially clear someone of blame or responsibility for a wrongdoing

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Where does the word "exonerate" come from? It comes from Latin onus, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

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Where does the word "exonerate" come from? It comes from Latin onus, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Exonerate’s story begins in Latin: onus meant “burden, load.” Burden, load, combined with ex- (out, away). Within Latin, it grew into exonerare by ancient. To unburden, to free from blame, from ex- and onus. It reached English by 1400s as exonerate. Settled as the English word for officially clearing someone of blame. Today, exonerate means to officially clear someone of blame or responsibility for a wrongdoing.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient onus "burden, load", burden, load, combined with ex- (out, away).
  2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient exonerare "to unburden, to free from blame", to unburden, to free from blame, from ex- and onus.
  3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s exonerate "to officially clear someone of blame", settled as the English word for officially clearing someone of blame.

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