condone
[ kuhn-dohn ]
/ kənˈdoʊn /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object), con·doned, con·don·ing.
to disregard or overlook (something illegal, objectionable, or the like): The government condoned the computer hacking among rival corporations.
to give tacit approval to: By his silence, he seemed to condone their behavior.
to pardon or forgive (an offense); excuse: His employers are willing to condone the exaggerations they uncovered in his résumé.
to cause the condonation of; justify the pardoning of (an offense).
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.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of condone
OTHER WORDS FROM condone
con·don·a·ble, adjectivecon·don·er, nounun·con·doned, adjectiveun·con·don·ing, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use condone in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for condone
condone
/ (kənˈdəʊn) /
verb (tr)
to overlook or forgive (an offence)
law (esp of a spouse) to pardon or overlook (an offence, usually adultery)
Derived forms of condone
condonable, adjectivecondonation (ˌkɒndəʊˈneɪʃən), nouncondoner, nounWord Origin for condone
C19: from Latin condōnāre to remit a debt, from com- (intensive) + dōnāre to donate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012