How to Say "to acquit" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to acquit” is “absolver” — B2 level.
Examples
El juez decidió absolver al sospechoso por falta de pruebas.
The judge decided to acquit the suspect due to a lack of evidence.
Después de la confesión, el cura lo absolvió de sus pecados.
After the confession, the priest absolved him of his sins.
El tribunal me absolvió de toda responsabilidad en el accidente.
The court cleared me of all responsibility for the accident.
The Boot Change
This verb is a 'stem-changer.' The 'o' in the middle changes to 'ue' in all present tense forms except 'we' (nosotros) and 'you all' (vosotros).
Tricky Past Action Form
Unlike most '-er' verbs that end in '-ido' for past actions, this one is irregular. Use 'absuelto' instead of 'absolvido' when saying 'have acquitted' or 'has been absolved'.
The 'Absolvido' Trap
Mistake: “El jurado lo ha resolvido... digo, absolvido.”
Correction: Say 'El jurado lo ha absuelto.' The past participle is completely irregular and does not follow the standard rule.
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