The present participle of acquit; actively freeing someone from guilt or obligation, or conducting oneself in a certain manner.
The -ing suffix added to acquit creates the present participle, showing ongoing or continuous action. Maintains the Old French root aquitier throughout its grammatical transformations.
The phrase 'acquitting oneself' meaning 'performing well' in a test or challenge is a verb ghost—a meaning that doesn't match the word's modern primary use but survived because it was so common in older English literature.
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