Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Acquittal'

English Word: Acquittal

Key Russian Translations:

• оправдание [ˌoprɐvˈdanʲɪjə] - [Formal, Legal Context]
• освобождение [ˌɐsvəbɐʐˈdʲenʲɪjə] - [Formal, Often Used for Release from Charges]

Frequency: Medium (Common in legal and formal contexts)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations due to specific legal usage

Pronunciation (Russian):

оправдание: [ˌoprɐvˈdanʲɪjə]

Note on оправдание: Stress falls on the third syllable. The 'о' is pronounced as a reduced vowel in unstressed positions.

освобождение: [ˌɐsvəbɐʐˈdʲenʲɪjə]

Note on освобождение: Stress on the fourth syllable. The 'ж' sound is a voiced fricative, unique to Slavic languages.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Legal exoneration (Formal declaration of not guilty)

Translation(s) & Context:

• оправдание - Used in legal contexts to denote a court’s decision of not guilty.

Usage Examples:

• Суд вынес оправдание по делу обвиняемого.

  The court issued an acquittal in the case of the accused.

• Его оправдание стало сенсацией в СМИ.

  His acquittal became a sensation in the media.

• Оправдание не всегда означает невиновность.

  An acquittal does not always mean innocence.

2. Release from obligation or charge (Broader sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• освобождение - Used for release from charges or obligations, not strictly legal.

Usage Examples:

• Освобождение от обвинений дало ему шанс начать всё заново.

  The acquittal from charges gave him a chance to start over.

• Её освобождение от ответственности было неожиданным.

  Her acquittal from responsibility was unexpected.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

оправдание (Neuter Noun): Follows the standard neuter noun declension in Russian.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	оправдание	оправдания
Genitive	оправдания	оправданий
Dative	оправданию	оправданиям
Accusative	оправдание	оправдания
Instrumental	оправданием	оправданиями
Prepositional	об оправдании	об оправданиях

освобождение (Neuter Noun): Follows a similar neuter noun declension pattern.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	освобождение	освобождения
Genitive	освобождения	освобождений
Dative	освобождению	освобождениям
Accusative	освобождение	освобождения
Instrumental	освобождением	освобождениями
Prepositional	об освобождении	об освобождениях

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for оправдание:

• извинение (Excuse, more informal)
• обоснование (Justification, broader context)

Antonyms for оправдание:

• обвинение (Accusation)
• осуждение (Conviction)

Synonyms for освобождение:

• выпуск (Release, often physical)
• избавление (Deliverance, broader sense)

Antonyms for освобождение:

• заключение (Imprisonment)
• обязательство (Obligation)

Related Phrases:

• оправдание в суде - Acquittal in court (Legal context)
• освобождение от обвинений - Release from charges (Formal and legal)
• полное оправдание - Full acquittal (Emphasizes complete exoneration)

Usage Notes:

• оправдание is strictly used in legal contexts to refer to a formal acquittal by a court. It is rarely used outside of legal discourse.
• освобождение has a broader application, often implying release from charges or obligations, and can sometimes be used metaphorically.
• When choosing between the two, consider the context: use оправдание for formal court decisions and освобождение for more general or non-legal release scenarios.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using оправдание to mean "excuse" in casual conversation. Incorrect: "У меня есть оправдание за опоздание" (I have an acquittal for being late).
  Correct: Use извинение instead: "У меня есть извинение за опоздание" (I have an excuse for being late).
  Explanation: оправдание is tied to legal exoneration and sounds unnatural in everyday excuses.
• Error: Confusing освобождение with physical freedom in legal contexts. Incorrect: "Его освобождение из тюрьмы было оправданием" (His release from prison was an acquittal).
  Correct: "Его освобождение из тюрьмы последовало за оправданием" (His release from prison followed the acquittal).
  Explanation: освобождение often implies physical release, while оправдание is the legal decision.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian legal culture, an оправдание (acquittal) is relatively rare compared to convictions in certain historical contexts, especially during Soviet times. This term may carry a significant weight of public or media attention due to its rarity and implications of systemic change or justice.

Related Concepts:

• суд (Court)
• приговор (Verdict)
• обвинение (Accusation)
• невиновность (Innocence)