Choose the most appropriate antonym for the given word: Exonerate
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Convict
Exonerate means to declare someone free from blame or guilt, especially after an inquiry. Its antonym is convict.
Example: The inquiry exonerated the driver of any blame for the accident.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Acquit | to declare someone not guilty (it is close in meaning to exonerate, a synonym rather than an antonym) | The jury acquitted her for lack of evidence. |
| (2) Acquaint | to make someone familiar with something (it has no link with guilt or blame and only looks like "acquit") | The guide acquainted us with the rules of the museum. |
| (3) Purgate | a rare word meaning to purge, to make clean (to purge oneself of a charge is also to clear oneself, so it leans towards exonerate, not against it) | The censors tried to purgate the book of every offensive line. |
| (4) Convict (answer) | to declare someone guilty of a crime in a court of law (exonerate clears a person, while convict finds the person guilty) | The court convicted him of fraud. |
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