condone
Americanverb (used with object)
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condones,
present (3rd person singular)
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condoned,
past participle, past
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condoning
present participle
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to disregard or overlook (something illegal, objectionable, or the like).
The government condoned the computer hacking among rival corporations.
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to give tacit approval to.
By his silence, he seemed to condone their behavior.
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to pardon or forgive (an offense); excuse.
His employers are willing to condone the exaggerations they uncovered in his résumé.
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to cause the condonation of; justify the pardoning of (an offense).
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Law. to forgive or act so as to imply forgiveness of (a violation of the marriage vow).
His spouse condoned his infidelity from the early years of their marriage.
verb
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to overlook or forgive (an offence)
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law (esp of a spouse) to pardon or overlook (an offence, usually adultery)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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condonesimple
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condonessimple
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have condonedperfect
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has condonedperfect
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am condoningprogressive
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are condoningprogressive
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is condoningprogressive
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have been condoningperfect progressive
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has been condoningperfect progressive
Past
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condonedsimple
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had condonedperfect
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was condoningprogressive
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were condoningprogressive
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had been condoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of condone
First recorded in 1615–25, but in general currency from its use in the British Divorce Act of 1857 (see condone def. 5 ); from Latin condōnāre “to absolve, grant pardon,” equivalent to con- “with, together” + dōnāre “to give”; see origin at con-, donate
Explanation
If you condone something, you allow it, approve of it, or at least can live with it. Some teachers condone chewing gum, and some don't. Things that are condoned are allowed, even if everyone isn't exactly thrilled about it. People often say, "I don't condone what he did, but I understand it." Condoning is like excusing something. People seem to talk more about things they don't condone than things they do condone. Your mom might say, "I don't condone you staying up till 10, but I know you need to read." That's a way of giving approval and not giving approval at the same time.
Vocabulary lists containing condone
The Hunger Games
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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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:
Though he doesn’t condone the bikes’ misuse, Leisner said their popularity stems in part from how easy they are to ride.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
“It’s complicated and its not something I would condone … but the more attention that Scientology gets, the worse it is for Scientology,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
"The University cannot overlook or condone them and cannot proceed in a way that suggests endorsement or association," it said.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
“I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.”
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
How could a school condone an organization like The Vigils?
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
Grove, whom I spoke with Thursday, was clear she condones none of those tactics “in any way, shape or form.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
He is the author of, most recently, “Dirty Work,” about the morally troubling jobs that society tacitly condones.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2023
“Silence condones these attitudes and causes untold damage to those targeted, and we cannot afford to stand by as our community members are attacked,” she said.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
She also promised that a warning card would be added to the film, saying that it "in no way condones or recommends the use of restraint on autistic people".
From BBC ● May 31, 2023
It's a trade like another and a method of making one's way which society certainly condones.
From The Tragic Muse by Henry James
The ASA's rules on socially responsible marketing say smoking should not be presented in an appealing way, condoned or encouraged.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Central Asian leader, who is a Moscow ally but who has never condoned Russia's offensive, said the roots of the war are "not understandable".
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Kwatra’s supervisors condoned his distribution of gift cards and other perks to clients to entice them to continue shopping at Saks, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Hundreds of Lithuanians thundered the patriotic anthem of national independence, which had been banned by the 1940 nonaggression pact between Hitler and Stalin, a deal that, in effect, condoned the Soviet seizure of Lithuania.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2024
Not unusual in these parts, but obviously not condoned by the Boyds.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
It isn’t about the Court condoning Mr. Olivier’s speech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Tadjadit's lawyer, Fetta Sadat, said in a post on Facebook that her client was convicted of "condoning terrorism", "supporting terrorist organisations" and "spreading extremist ideas", among other charges.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025
The r/FreeLuigi moderator wanted to make clear that she and the large majority of her 36,000-strong community are not condoning violence against health insurance CEOs.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2025
"I believe this is a crime against the territorial integrity of a neighbouring state. I'd be condoning it if I stayed silent."
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2024
In the evening, “I often have to shut my ears to their gossip. If I join in, I feel as though I’m condoning them and I feel bad.”
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
