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absolve meaning and examples

2025-09-08

Meaning

  • Absolve means to free someone from guilt, blame, duty, or responsibility.
  • It is often used in legal, religious, or moral contexts.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Verb (transitive)

  • Common structures:

    • absolve sb of/from sth → to declare someone free of blame or responsibility.
    • absolve sb from duty/obligation → to release someone from a required task or responsibility.

Examples of patterns:

  • absolve someone of a crime
  • absolve someone from responsibility

Common Phrases

  • absolve of sin – to free someone from guilt in a religious sense.
  • absolve of blame – to declare someone not guilty.
  • absolve from duty – to release someone from an obligation.

Collocations

  • absolve + person + of/from + sin/blame/crime
  • absolve + person + from + duty/obligation/responsibility
  • completely absolve
  • formally absolve

Examples

  1. The priest absolved her of her sins.
  2. The court absolved him of all charges.
  3. She was absolved from any responsibility for the accident.
  4. His apology did not absolve him of the harm he caused.
  5. The agreement absolved the company from future liability.
  6. No one can absolve you of your moral duty.
  7. The judge’s ruling absolved the defendant of guilt.
  8. He sought to be absolved from his promises.
  • Forgive
  • Exonerate
  • Pardon
  • Vindicate
  • Acquit
  • Release

Antonym

  • Blame
  • Condemn
  • Accuse
  • Incriminate