pardon

1 of 2

noun

par·​don ˈpär-dᵊn How to pronounce pardon (audio)
Synonyms of pardonnext
1
: indulgence sense 4
2
: the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty
offered a pardon to the draft evader
3
a
: a release from the legal penalties of an offense
b
: an official warrant of remission of penalty
a royal pardon later released him from a death sentence—American Guide Series: Maryland
4
: excuse or forgiveness for a fault, offense, or discourtesy
I beg your pardon
She asked my pardon for taking up so much of my time.

pardon

2 of 2

verb

pardoned; pardoning ˈpärd-niŋ How to pronounce pardon (audio)
ˈpär-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to absolve from the consequences of a fault or crime
b
: to allow (an offense) to pass without punishment : forgive
c
: to relieve of a penalty improperly assessed
2
: tolerate

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for pardon

excuse, condone, pardon, forgive mean to exact neither punishment nor redress.

excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting

Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

injustice excuses strong responses

condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

Examples of pardon in a Sentence

Noun The governor granted him a pardon. He asked my pardon for taking so much of my time. Verb he eventually pardoned his sister after she apologized I'm willing to pardon a little sloppiness of dress in such a kind and loving person.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
His chances of a pardon are, honestly, pretty good. —Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 Lil Wayne Rapper Lil Wayne, who received a presidential pardon from Trump in 2021, has voiced his appreciation and continued support for Trump. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Schwimmer refused to seek a pardon at the time, but was pardoned anyway by President Bill Clinton in 2001. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 Trump could still pardon him or commute the supervised release part of his sentence. —Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pardon 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French pardun, pardoun, from parduner

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French parduner, from Late Latin perdonare to grant freely, from Latin per- thoroughly + donare to give — more at parboil, donation

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pardon was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing pardon

Dictionary Entries Near pardon

pardo

pardon

pardonable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Pardon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pardon. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

pardon

1 of 2 noun
par·​don ˈpärd-ᵊn How to pronounce pardon (audio)
: the excusing of an offense without a penalty
pardonable
ˈpärd-nə-bəl
-ᵊn-ə-bəl
adjective
pardonably
-blē
adverb

pardon

2 of 2 verb
pardoned; pardoning ˈpärd-niŋ How to pronounce pardon (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to free from penalty
2
: to forgive an offense

Legal Definition

pardon

noun
par·​don
1
: a release from the legal penalties of an offense
2
: an official warrant of remission of penalty as an act of clemency compare commute
3
: excuse or forgiveness for a fault or offense
pardon transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pardon

Nglish: Translation of pardon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pardon for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pardon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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