Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

exonerate

/ɪɡˈzɑnəˌɹeɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.61 in modern English

Syllables
ex-o-ner-ate
IPA
/ɪɡˈzɑnəˌɹeɪt/
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load).

Archaic; Transitive verb

verb

Of a body of water: to discharge or empty (itself).

Obsolete

verb

To free (someone) from an obligation, responsibility or task.

Transitive verb

verb

To free (someone) from accusation or blame.

Transitive verb

adj

Freed from an obligation; freed from accusation or blame; acquitted, exonerated.

Archaic

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English exoneraten (attested in past participle exonerated), from Latin exonerātus, past perfect participle of exonerō (“to discharge, unload; to exonerate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Exonerō is from ex- (“out, from”) + onerō (“to burden, lade; to load”) further from onus (oner-) (“a burden, load”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃énh₂os (“burden, load”), from *h₃enh₂- (“to charge, onerate”). Compare French exonérer.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *h₃enh₂-, exoneraten, exonerātus, *h₃énh₂os

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɪɡˈzɑnəˌɹeɪt/
  • British English: /ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

exonerates (present, singular) exonerating (participle, present) exonerated (participle, past) exonerated (past) more exonerate (comparative) most exonerate (superlative)

Derived Forms

exonerable exonerated exonerative exoneree

Frequently Paired Words

exoneration exonerator

Synonyms

absolve acquit exculpate vindicate acquittance assoil assoilzie clear disculp disculpate exonerate

Questions

How do you pronounce exonerate?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzɑnəˌɹeɪt/.
What does exonerate mean?
To relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load).
Where does exonerate come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce exonerate

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “exonerate”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪɡˈzɑnəˌɹeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “exonerate”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “exonerate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.