absolve

absolve (one) from (something)

To declare that someone is free from blame or responsibility for something. The evidence that the defense attorney presented in court convinced the jury to absolve his client from the crime. I know you're sorry. I absolve you from your guilt, son.
See also: absolve

absolve (one) of (something)

To declare that someone is free from blame or responsibility for something. Once Betty saw the security footage of a different employee stealing money from the cash register, she absolved Jacob of the crime. I know you're sorry. I absolve you of your guilt, son.
See also: absolve, of

absolve from guilt

To consider innocent, clear of all suspicion, or pardon from any cause of guilt. The knights of the crusades committed many atrocities in their campaign, but they were absolved from guilt by the heads of the church.
See also: absolve, guilt

absolved from guilt

Considered innocent, cleared of all suspicion, or pardoned from any cause of guilt. The knights of the crusades committed many atrocities in their campaign, but they were regarded as absolved from guilt because of their religious patronage.
See also: absolve, guilt
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

absolve someone from something

 and absolve someone of something
to prove that an accused person is innocent of something; to demonstrate that someone is not responsible for something. Bob attempted to absolve himself of the crime.
See also: absolve
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • absolve (one) from (something)
  • absolve from
  • absolve (one) of (something)
  • hold (someone) responsible (for someone)
  • hold responsible
  • find against
  • find against (someone or something)
  • find (one) not guilty
  • find for
  • find for (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
ABSOLVE YOURSELF Keep a food diary for a couple of days to see how much fruit and veg you are actually eating and then sneak in more.
In the past, retired Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz explained that abortion is punishable by excommunication and the ones who can absolve a person is the bishop.
The court ordered the execution to be carried out in front of the victim's blood kins -- the parents -- who refused to absolve the killer and insisted on a retribution (or eye-for-eye punishment).
We believe that the company obtained the cheques [using] deceptive methods, and which absolve our client of any criminal intention."
No amount of money can absolve News International from hacking in to the phone of murder victim Milly Dowler, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said yesterday, following the disclosure that the company was about to settle its case with the teenager's family.
Before he left Winnipeg, Archbishop Pocock wrote to me saying that the Canadian Bishops had spoken with a nearly unanimous voice and that he expected me to accept that statement and to absolve those contracepting in good faith.
But it's usually employed by conservatives--of all races--attempting to down-play the impact of racism, or black people cynically seeking to absolve themselves of social responsibility (read: Bob Johnson).
Under the BLA, Square D and Schneider were jointly liable for these amounts (i.e., the BLA did not absolve Schneider of its legal obligation).
Murphy was hurt following a clash with Kevin Campbell but he was quick to absolve the Everton striker of any blame.
But being gay doesn't absolve any of us from the normal duties of citizenship.
In his time in office, Burden has made great strides in improving the force and is obviously confident that an inquiry will not only absolve his men and women but put the seal of approval on his reforms.
In the July 2 decision, the Court of Appeals found that the woman's failure to look through a peephole before opening the door to her assailant did not absolve the landlord of responsibility.
20 addressing both lawsuits, the New York Court of Appeals upheld lower court rulings that the companies' defense is enough to "absolve" them of fraud in the sense that they purposely misrepresented facts about the policies.
The author does not absolve himself of this common error merely by attributing it to proponents of tolerance when he then goes on to make objections to relativism a cornerstone of his own case.
There is not even a nod to artists who work against the grain of consensus, or withhold themselves from the "art world," and, as if to absolve himself from charges of bias (which is to say, passion) Sandler stresses that he is only telling us of what turned up; what exercised the denizens of the art world in which he subsists.