Acquittances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A formal document acknowledging the payment of a sum of money or the discharge of an obligation
2. a receipt signifying that a debt has been settled and that no further claims exist
3. a written statement affirming the release from liability for an obligation or a financial responsibility

Etymology: "Acquittances" is simply the plural of "acquittance," so its history is the history of that noun. The noun came into English from Anglo-Norman "acquitance," which descends from Middle French "aquitance," itself built on the verb "acquiter," meaning "to acquit." That verb is the root of the whole family: to acquit a person was to set them free from a charge or obligation, and an acquittance was the document that proved the obligation had been discharged. The noun therefore began as a practical piece of paperwork rather than an abstract idea. A receipt or written release showed that a debt or duty had been settled, and the legal sense of freedom from liability is still visible in the word. The later noun "acquittal," which refers to a verdict of not guilty, grew from the same verb, so the two words are close relatives that took separate paths into English.

Synonyms: discharges, dismissals, releases, absolutions, liberations

Antonyms: liabilities, debts, obligations, responsibilities, burdens