pardon

[pahr-dn]

noun

1. 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?

2. Law.

   1. a release from the penalty of an offense; a remission of penalty, as by a governor.

   2. the document by which such remission is declared.

3. forgiveness of a serious offense or offender.

   Synonyms: remission, absolution

4. Obsolete.,  a papal indulgence.

verb (used with object)

1. to make courteous allowance for or to excuse.

   Pardon me, madam.

   Antonyms: blame, censure

2. to release (a person) from liability for an offense.

   Synonyms: clear, acquit

3. to remit the penalty of (an offense).

   The governor will not pardon your crime.

   Synonyms: overlook, condone, absolve, forgive

interjection

1. (used, with rising inflection, as an elliptical form of I beg your pardon, as when asking a speaker to repeat something not clearly heard or understood.)

pardon

/ ˈpɑːdən /

verb

1. to excuse or forgive (a person) for (an offence, mistake, etc)

   to pardon someone

   to pardon a fault

noun

1. forgiveness; allowance

2. 1. release from punishment for an offence

   2. the warrant granting such release

3. a Roman Catholic indulgence

1. Also: pardon me.  I beg your pardon. 

   1. sorry; excuse me

   2. what did you say?

Other Word Forms

• pardonable adjective
• pardonableness noun
• pardonably adverb
• pardonless adjective
• nonpardoning adjective
• unpardonable adjective
• unpardonably adverb
• unpardoned adjective
• unpardoning adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pardon¹

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,” donation

Word History and Origins

Origin of pardon¹

C13: from Old French, from Medieval Latin perdōnum, from perdōnāre to forgive freely, from Latin per (intensive) + dōnāre to grant

Idioms and Phrases

see beg to differ; excuse me.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

And he even appealed to Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, seating next to him, to pardon Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption – charges that the Israeli PM denies.

Read more on BBC

The president pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road online drug bazaar.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"There was also some pressure from the family's relatives to pardon them, and I eventually agreed," he said.

Read more on Barron's

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Maxwell, leaving a presidential pardon as the only remaining legal option to avoid serving out her sentence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“I have a lot of people who’ve asked me for pardons,” he told reporters.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absolution 
• allowance 
• amnesty 
• clemency 
• mercy 
• remission 
• reprieve