condone

con·done

transitive verb \kən-ˈdōn\

con·donedcon·don·ing

Definition of CONDONE

: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless <a government accused of condoning racism> <condone corruption in politics>

— con·don·able \-ˈdō-nə-bəl\ adjective

— con·don·er noun

Examples of CONDONE

1. a government that has been accused of condoning racism
2. <he is too quick to condone his friend's faults>
3. “I don't condone violence, and I think ‘gangsta rap’ should be outlawed,” says [designer Tommy] Hilfiger … —Joshua Levine, Forbes, 21 Apr. 1997
4. Without waiting for Momma's thanks, he rode out of the yard, sure that things were as they should be and that he was a gentle squire, saving those deserving serfs from the laws of the land, which he condoned. —Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
5. And then she told him all—told him the truth word by word, without attempting to shield herself or condone her error. —Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, 1912

Origin of CONDONE

Latin condonare to absolve, from com- + donare to give — more at donation

First Known Use: 1805

Related to CONDONE

Synonyms

blink (at), brush (aside or off), excuse, discount, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at)

Related Words

explain, justify, rationalize; absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate; waive, wave (aside or off)

Near Antonyms

heed, mark, mind, note, object (to)

See Synonym Discussion at excuse

Rhymes with CONDONE

agon, aitchbone, alone, atone, backbone, Bastogne, bemoan, Big Stone, birthstone, Blackstone, bloodstone, bluestone, bondstone, Boulogne, breastbone, bridge loan, brimstone, brownstone, call loan, calzone, Capone, capstone, cell phone, cheekbone, chinbone, cogon, cologne, Cologne, colon, colón, Colón, copestone, corn pone, curbstone, cyclone, daimon, dapsone, debone, depone, dethrone, dial tone, disown, Dordogne, downzone, dripstone, drop zone, drystone, earphone, earth tone, end zone, enthrone, estrone, fieldstone, firestone, Firestone, flagstone, flowstone, flyblown, footstone, freestone, free zone, full-blown, gallstone, gemstone, Gijón, goldstone, gravestone, greenstone, grindstone, hailstone, halftone, handblown, hard stone, headphone, headstone, hearthstone, high-flown, hip bone, homegrown, hormone, hornstone, impone, ingrown, inkstone, in stone, intone, jawbone, jewel tone, keystone, León, leone, life zone, limestone, lodestone, long bone, Maidstone, milestone, millstone, moonstone, mudstone, nose cone, oilstone, orgone, ozone, pay phone, peptone, pinbone, pinecone, piñon, pipestone, postpone, potstone, propone, redbone, red zone, rhinestone, sandstone, shade-grown, shinbone, siltstone, snow cone, soapstone, splint bone, strike zone, T-bone, tailbone, thighbone, time zone, toadstone, tombstone, touchstone, touch-tone, tritone, trombone, turnstone, twelve-tone, two-tone, Tyrone, unknown, unthrone, war zone, well-known, whalebone, wheel-thrown, whetstone, windblown, wishbone, Yangon