Pronunciation: [ɐkwˈɪtə͡l] (IPA) 
The word "acquittal" is spelled with a "c" followed by a "qu" due to its origin in Latin. The "c" represents the Latin letter "q" which was pronounced as /k/. The "u" following the "q" is not a vowel but rather a way to indicate that the "q" is pronounced as /kw/. The word is pronounced as /əˈkwɪtəl/ with the stress on the second syllable. Acquittal is a legal term meaning that someone has been found not guilty of a crime.
Acquittal is a legal term that refers to the judgment made by a court or jury, declaring the accused person not guilty and absolving them of the charged offense or crime. It is an essential principle in the administration of justice that protects individuals from being wrongfully convicted or punished for a crime they allegedly committed.
When a person stands trial for a specific offense, the prosecution bears the burden of proving the accused's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. However, if the evidence presented during the trial is insufficient to convince the judge or jury of the accused's guilt, an acquittal is granted. This means that the defendant is deemed innocent, and no legal consequences or penalties are imposed on them.
In an acquittal, the court determines that the evidence provided by the prosecution is not convincing enough to meet the high standard of proof required for a conviction. The burden of proof rests solely on the prosecution, and any reasonable doubt in the minds of the judge or jurors must tilt in favor of the defendant, leading to an acquittal.
Notably, an acquittal should not be confused with a dismissal, as the latter occurs when the charges are dropped or the case is terminated before reaching a verdict, usually due to procedural issues or lack of evidence. Acquittals, on the other hand, are verdicts made following a trial where the evidence and arguments from both sides have been presented and evaluated.
Overall, an acquittal is a judicial declaration of innocence that serves to protect the rights of the accused and preserve the integrity of the legal system.
A setting free; the being found not guilty.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "acquittal" originated from the Latin term "acquītālis", which is derived from the verb "acquītāre", meaning "to set free or absolve". The Latin word itself is constructed by combining "ad-" (meaning "to") and "quītāre" (meaning "to quit or release"). Over time, the word "acquittal" entered Middle English from Old French as "aquiter", and eventually evolved into its present form.
