not guilty
fixed phrase.fixed phrase. a formal statement in a court of law saying that someone did not commit a crime.
fixed phrase. a formal plea or verdict in a criminal trial indicating that the defendant is not legally responsible for the charged offence.
The jury found the defendant not guilty.
After three days of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts.
Despite the overwhelming circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution, the defendant maintained a plea of not guilty throughout the entire trial.
typically follows the verbs 'plead' or 'find'.
contrast with 'innocent'; in a legal context, 'not guilty' means the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a specific legal status.
The judge said he was no guilty.The judge said he was not guilty.use the adverb 'not' to negate the adjective 'guilty' in this fixed legal expression.
Last updated July 31, 2026