Basic Details
Word: Absolve
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To declare officially that someone is free from blame, guilt or a duty.
Synonyms: acquit, pardon, clear, exonerate
Antonyms: blame, condemn, convict
How to Spell Absolve
Syllables: ab - solve
Tricky part: The s is spoken almost like a z, which leads to abzolve. The word also ends in a silent e after the v, as nearly every English word ending in a v sound does.
Watch out for: abzolve, absolv, absalve
Memory tip: Solve sits inside absolve. Once the mystery is solved, the judge can absolve the innocent man: ab + solve.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The report absolved the bus driver of any blame for the accident.
Example 2: Saying sorry does not absolve you from fixing the window you broke.
Example 3: The coach absolved the goalkeeper, saying the whole defence had made mistakes.
Fun Fact
Absolve and absolute come from the same Latin verb, absolvere, which meant to set free and also to finish or complete.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word absolve as used in the sentence:
The inquiry is expected to absolve the young clerk of all wrongdoing.
a) pardon
b) excuse
c) clear
d) condemn
Show answer
d) condemn. To condemn is to declare someone guilty; clear, pardon and excuse all point the other way.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. sincerly 2. concience 3. pennance 4. absolve
a) to declare someone free from blame or guilt
b) the inner sense of what is right and wrong
c) in an honest and genuine way
d) a punishment taken on to show sorrow for a wrong
Show answer
a) to declare someone free from blame or guilt. Look for solve inside absolve and the spelling checks itself; each of the other three has lost or gained a letter.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
ab_ol_e
a) s, v
b) s, f
c) z, v
d) c, v
Show answer
a) s, v. The buzzing sound is still written s, as in absorb and observe.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If a court absolves someone, it ____.
a) says they are not to blame
b) sends them to jail
c) asks them to pay a fine
d) postpones the case
Show answer
a) says they are not to blame
2. Choose the sentence where absolve is used sensibly.
a) We absolved the bus at the next stop.
b) A letter from the doctor absolved him from running the race.
c) The sun absolved behind the clouds.
d) She absolved the milk into her tea.
Show answer
b) A letter from the doctor absolved him from running the race.
