exculpatory
UK /ɪksˈkʌl.pə.tɹi/ · US /ɛksˈkʌl.pəˌtɔ.ɹi/ adjective
- adjective Tending to excuse or clear of wrongdoing.
Synonyms
disculpatory exonerative vindicatory absolving absolutionary absolutory
Antonyms
criminative criminatory incriminating incriminatory inculpatory nonexculpatory damning
Etymology
From exculpate + -ory (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to, serving for’). Exculpate is derived from Medieval Latin exculpātus, perfect passive participle of exculpō (“to free from blame, exculpate”), from ex- (prefix meaning ‘out, away’) + culpa (“defect, fault; crime”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp-). Cognate with Spanish exculpatorio.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “exculpatory”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details