onschuldigen

Onschuldigen is a Dutch verb meaning to exonerate or declare not guilty; to absolve someone of guilt. It is used primarily in legal contexts but can also appear in everyday language when someone is cleared of blame. The typical construction is iemand onschuldig verklaren, meaning to declare someone innocent, or the passive form, waarbij de verdachte onschuldig werd verklaard (the suspect was declared innocent).

Etymology and form: The word comes from the negating prefix on- attached to schuld, meaning guilt, combined with the formation that yields a verb. The related adjective onschuldig means not guilty or innocent. The sense is to remove or negate guilt attributed to a person.

Usage and examples: In court and formal discourse, onschuldigen is used to express that a person is no longer considered guilty. Example: "De rechtbank heeft de verdachte onschuldig verklaard." In broader speech, the term can be used metaphorically to clear someone of blame in non-criminal matters, such as accusations or suspicions.

See also: Exoneration, acquittal, innocence. Note that onschuldigen is distinct from verbs related to apologizing; those terms (such as verontschuldigen) concern apologizing or excusing oneself, not the legal clearing of guilt.