pardon
Americannoun
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pardons
plural
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kind indulgence, as in forgiveness of an offense or discourtesy or in tolerance of a distraction or inconvenience.
I beg your pardon, but which way is Spruce Street?
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Law.
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a release from the penalty of an offense; a remission of penalty, as by a governor.
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the document by which such remission is declared.
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forgiveness of a serious offense or offender.
- Synonyms:
- remission, absolution
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Obsolete. a papal indulgence.
verb (used with object)
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pardons,
present (3rd person singular)
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pardoned,
past participle, past
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pardoning
present participle
interjection
verb
noun
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forgiveness; allowance
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release from punishment for an offence
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the warrant granting such release
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a Roman Catholic indulgence
Synonym Usage
Pardon, amnesty, reprieve are nouns referring to the cancellation, or delay with the possibility of eventual cancellation, of a punishment or penalty assigned for the violation of a military regulation or a civil law; absolution from guilt is not implied, merely a remission of the penalty. A pardon is granted to an individual, often by the action of a government official such as a governor, president, or monarch, and releases the individual from any punishment due for the infraction of the law, as a death sentence, prison term, or fine: to be released from prison with a full pardon. An amnesty is a pardon granted to a group of persons for past offenses against a government; it often includes an assurance of no future prosecution: to grant amnesty to political prisoners; an amnesty period for delinquent taxpayers during which no penalties are assessed. A reprieve is a delay of impending punishment, especially a death sentence; it does not cancel or remit the punishment, it simply delays it, usually for a specific period of time or until a decision can be arrived at as to the possibility of pardon or reduction of sentence: a last-minute reprieve, allowing the filing of an appeal to the Supreme Court. See excuse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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pardonablenessnoun
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nonpardoningadjective
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pardonableadjective
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pardonlessadjective
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unpardonableadjective
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unpardonedadjective
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unpardoningadjective
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pardonablyadverb
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unpardonablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pardonsimple
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pardonssimple
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have pardonedperfect
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has pardonedperfect
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am pardoningprogressive
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are pardoningprogressive
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is pardoningprogressive
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have been pardoningperfect progressive
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has been pardoningperfect progressive
Past
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pardonedsimple
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had pardonedperfect
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was pardoningprogressive
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were pardoningprogressive
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had been pardoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pardon
First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English pardoun(e), from Old French, Middle French pardon, pardun, perdun ( French pardon ), from Medieval Latin perdōnum ; (verb) Middle English pardonen, perdonen, from Anglo-French, Old French pardoner, perduner ( French pardonner), from Medieval Latin perdōnāre “to give freely, overlook,” equivalent to Latin intensive prefix per- per- + dōnāre “to give,” see donation
Explanation
If you belch, interrupt a conversation, or leave the table during dinner, you’re expected to say “Pardon me.” Once you’ve requested your companions’ pardon, or forgiveness, you can assume you have it; you don’t need to wait for their response. The word pardon often occurs in the phrases “Pardon me” and “I beg your pardon.” (While “I beg your pardon” literally means “I request your forgiveness,” it’s used to indicate that the speaker did not hear what was just said.) Outside of these everyday phrases, pardon is typically used in formal or legal situations. If the president pardons a criminal, for example, the criminal is forgiven in the sense that he or she no longer has to serve the penalty for the crime.
Vocabulary lists containing pardon
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act IV
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The Balcony Scene from "Romeo and Juliet"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His latest appeal was turned down, but he is still hoping for a presidential pardon.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
These guidelines generally require that a clemency seeker have been released from prison for five years before they are eligible to request a pardon.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
The pardon is conditional on Najib paying a fine of 50 million ringgit, equivalent to around $12 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Last year, he was given an unconditional pardon by US President Donald Trump over a breach of anti-money laundering laws at his crypto trading platform, BitMEX, to which he had pleaded guilty in 2022.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
In 1966, hoping to return to Oklahoma, Ernest applied for a pardon.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
In contrast, out of the 216 individual pardons granted by Trump in his second term so far, only 34 – about 15% – have gone to people who waited that long.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
And under the state constitution, only the governor has the power to issue pardons.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
Presidential pardons only cover federal offences, not state-level cases.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
White House officials are considering a plan for President Trump to issue 250 pardons as a way to mark the celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday this summer, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
"Lord Eddard, pardons," Desmond called out, opening the door a crack, "but there's a black brother here begging audience. He says the matter is urgent. I thought you would want to know."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Many presidents adhere to this norm: My study shows that between 94% and 100% of people pardoned by George H.W.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
French national Martin Ryan has been pardoned and his release from prison ordered by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after he was jailed on charges of spying.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
President Trump last October pardoned Zhao, who served four months in prison.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Trump pardoned the elder Kushner in 2020 and named him U.S. ambassador to France in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Perhaps if he was, Julius would be pardoned and it would all blow over....
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Asked after the Supreme Court ruling if he would consider pardoning Maxwell, Trump said, “I’d have to take a look at it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
In the closing weeks of his presidency, Biden loosed his pardoning pen.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2025
A recent Associated Press survey indicated only two in 10 Americans approve of pardoning most of those involved.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2025
Gerald Ford is best remembered not for his administration’s fight against inflation or for signing campaign finance reforms but for pardoning his predecessor, Richard Nixon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2025
“Seeing as your boy is so young, and El Jefe has been pardoning most minors . . .” He swilled his drink around so the ice tinkled against the glass.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
