absolution
Americannoun
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act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties.
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state of being absolved.
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Roman Catholic Theology.
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a remission of sin or of the punishment for sin, made by a priest in the sacrament of penance on the ground of authority received from Christ.
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the formula declaring such remission.
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Protestant Theology. a declaration or assurance of divine forgiveness to penitent believers, made after confession of sins.
noun
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the act of absolving or the state of being absolved; release from guilt, obligation, or punishment
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Christianity
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a formal remission of sin pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance
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the prescribed form of words granting such a remission
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of absolution
1175–1225; Middle English absolucion < Latin absolūtiōn- (stem of absolūtiō ) acquittal. See absolute, -ion
Explanation
Absolution is a religious concept for purging someone of sin, granting them absolution. The word is used for other kinds of forgiveness too. When you sin or make a mistake, you usually want absolution — which is like forgiveness. In many religions, if you confess your sins, you can be granted absolution: the sin is forgiven, forgotten, wiped clean. Usually, the sinning person has to do some kind of penance to atone for the sin to achieve absolution. Absolution is a serious concept: if you jaywalked, you probably won't worry about absolution. If you stole money from your sick grandmother, absolution is going to be more important.
Vocabulary lists containing absolution
Frankenstein
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Bless Me, Ultima
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"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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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.
But even if you don’t believe any of that, Leo is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest organization on Earth spreading that message of absolution through belief.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2026
Did writing the book make you think about aging or absolution differently at all?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
It wouldn’t be an Aronofsky film if his characters weren’t damned from the start, forced to spend the movie’s runtime seeking absolution wherever they can get it.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2025
"Repatriation would not be moral absolution, if someone came back it wouldn't prevent them from potentially being prosecuted for what they've done," he said.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2025
He made his act of contrition and listened as Father Mulrooney gave his sacramental absolution.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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.
