Question

Choose the word that gives the antonym of the word italicized.
The boy was accused of theft.
a)Liberated
b)Impeached
c)Exonerated
d)Sentenced

Answer 1

Hint: An antonym refers to a word that is opposite in meaning to another word. Example- Good is the antonym of bad.

Complete step-by-step answer:

Accused can be used to refer to an individual or a group of people who have been charged for a crime. The word accused had been derived from the Latin word- Accusare, which means a call to account.
We know the meaning and origin of the word accused. Now, let’s look at its usage:
Example- He was accused of kidnapping his children. Here, we can understand that X was charged for a crime.
Let’s examine the given options:
a)Liberated- It refers to someone who has been released from imprisonment or rescued from slavery. It is different in meaning to the accused. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
b)Impeached- It means to challenge or question the integrity of something. It is different in meaning to the accused. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
c)Exonerated- It means to discharge or clear someone from blame for wrongdoing. It is the opposite in meaning to the accused. Hence, it is the correct option.
d)Sentenced- It means to punish or convict a criminal or an offender. It is different in meaning to the accused. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is Option ‘c’.

Note: Accused refers to someone who has been presumed to have committed a crime. He/she has not yet been declared guilty by the court of law.