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:
A lawyer for Zhao previously said his pardon wasn’t linked to any business decision, and a lawyer for World Liberty Financial has said the company didn’t “discuss, facilitate or influence the pardon.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The Justice Department last year fired its pardon attorney after she objected to restoring the gun rights of actor Mel Gibson, who pleaded no contest in 2011 to a misdemeanor battery charge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The artist reacted to the pardon on his Instagram story, saying that it “opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Additionally, he could still be subject to state or local charges that are not covered by the pardon.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
When I felt myself bump into an unyielding figure, I turned in some annoyance to beg his pardon.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice is working on a review of the pardons and disregards scheme, with a view to bringing new proposals to the Executive in the next Assembly mandate.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Throughout history, kings and popes traditionally celebrated “jubilee” years with granting pardons and forgiving sins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Stories about pardons are often told as stories about presidential power — who got mercy, who had access, who persuaded a president to intervene.
From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2026
The White House has said the president does not issue pardons at the request of lobbyists.
From Salon ● Apr. 21, 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
In a September 2024 motion, Murrill claimed that by vacating Brooks’ manslaughter conviction while he was a free man and not a prisoner, the court essentially pardoned him.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
He’s no longer a quintessential underdog routinely pardoned for his bad defense, his questionable durability and his tendency to tighten up in the playoffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Appearing in court on Tuesday, he expressed regret and was pardoned.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Hun Sen posted on Facebook that Sokha had been "pardoned", alongside a photo of the royal decree signed by him.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Then, after he had served only six and a half years, he was pardoned by the governor of Texas; Middleton had a girlfriend, and Lewis’s family believed that she had bribed authorities.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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
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
Although the pardoning power is considered broad, it is not limitless.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2024
The modern era of parsimonious pardoning began in the late 1970s, when the attorney general delegated the task of recommending pardons to a bureaucracy within the Justice Department.
From Slate ● Dec. 2, 2024
Farmer asked, referring to his argument with Alex about pardoning prisoners.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
