Dictionary.com

pardon

[ pahr-dn ]
/ ˈpɑr dn /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: pardon / pardoned / pardoning / pardonable on Thesaurus.com
noun
verb (used with object)
interjection
(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.)
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

synonym study for pardon

3. 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. 6. See excuse.

OTHER WORDS FROM pardon

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pardon

commute, forgive, pardon

Words nearby pardon

pard, pardah, pardalote, pardi, pardner, pardon, pardoner, Pardubice, pare, paregmenon, paregoric
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to pardon

absolution, allowance, amnesty, clemency, mercy, remission, reprieve, absolve, acquit, discharge, excuse, exonerate, tolerate, acquittal, anchor, commute, conciliation, condonation, exculpation, exoneration

How to use pardon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pardon

pardon
/ (ˈpɑːdən) /
verb (tr)
to excuse or forgive (a person) for (an offence, mistake, etc)to pardon someone; to pardon a fault
noun
forgiveness; allowance
  1. release from punishment for an offence
  2. the warrant granting such release
a Roman Catholic indulgence
sentence substitute
Also: pardon me, I beg your pardon
  1. sorry; excuse me
  2. what did you say?

Derived forms of pardon

pardonable, adjectivepardonably, adverbpardonless, adjective

Word Origin for pardon

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with pardon

pardon

see beg to differ; excuse me.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
FEEDBACK