Definition. At the end of a criminal trial, a finding by a judge or jury that a defendant is not guilty. An acquittal signifies that a prosecutor failed to prove his or her case beyond a reasonable doubt, not that a defendant is innocent.

Can you be acquitted and still be guilty?

"Not guilty" and "acquittal" are synonymous. ... In other words, to find a defendant not guilty is to acquit. At trial, an acquittal occurs when the jury (or the judge if it's a judge trial) determines that the prosecution hasn't proved the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Is acquitted the same as dismissed?

They all, practically, describe the same disposition. Dismissed means that either the Judge or District Attorney dismissed the charges (or dropped them). Acquitted means that a Judge or Jury found the charged person was not guilty. Either way, it describes a non-conviction.