pardon

1 of 2

noun

par·​don ˈpär-dᵊn How to pronounce pardon (audio)
1
2
: the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty
offered a pardon to the draft evader
3
a
: a release from the legal penalties of an offense
b
: an official warrant of remission of penalty
a royal pardon later released him from a death sentenceAmerican Guide Series: Maryland
4
: excuse or forgiveness for a fault, offense, or discourtesy
I beg your pardon
She asked my pardon for taking up so much of my time.

pardon

2 of 2

verb

pardoned; pardoning ˈpärd-niŋ How to pronounce pardon (audio)
ˈpär-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to absolve from the consequences of a fault or crime
b
: to allow (an offense) to pass without punishment : forgive
c
: to relieve of a penalty improperly assessed
2
Choose the Right Synonym for pardon

excuse, condone, pardon, forgive mean to exact neither punishment nor redress.

excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting

Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

injustice excuses strong responses

condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

Examples of pardon in a Sentence

Noun The governor granted him a pardon. He asked my pardon for taking so much of my time. Verb he eventually pardoned his sister after she apologized I'm willing to pardon a little sloppiness of dress in such a kind and loving person.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Presidential pardons do not apply to state charges. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 Johnny’s sister Susanna (Julia Link), on the precipice of becoming a nun, begs the leader for a pardon. Missy Frederick, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 Despite offering scant public comment on the scandal, Orban swiftly proposed changing Hungary’s constitution to prevent future pardons from being granted to anyone convicted in connection with crimes against children. Christian Edwards, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024 He was granted a partial royal pardon in September by King Maha Vajiralongkorn that saw his sentence being commuted to just one year. TIME, 13 Feb. 2024 Tangent Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán submitted an amendment to the country’s constitution Thursday, which would prevent the sitting president from issuing pardons involving crimes against children, according to Politico. Ty Roush, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 However, in 1979 after serving nearly two years, President Jimmy Carter set her free by commuting her sentence, and in 2001, President Bill Clinton gave her a full pardon. Corin Cesaric, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2024 The pardons were granted upon recommendations of Judge J. M. Shinn and Prosecuting Attorney Karl Greenhaw of the Fourteenth judicial circuit, under an agreement with leaders of the strikers on the Missouri and North Arkansas railroad, and which resulted in a settlement of the strike troubles. ... arkansasonline.com, 1 Feb. 2024 According to the White House Historical Association, George Washington issued the first presidential pardon — which releases someone from punishment and restores all their civil liberties — in 1795. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
The Republican governor previously pardoned Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple prosecuted after waving guns in front of Black Lives Matter demonstrators. Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Unlike Bailey, his drug conviction was not pardoned. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Abraham Lincoln pardoned Joe Biden’s great-great-grandfather 160 years ago, according to the Washington Post’s David J. Gerleman. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 After a presidential review of the case, Lincoln agreed with the request and pardoned Robinette. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2024 This is a deep cut: Abraham Lincoln pardoned Biden's ancestor. USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Here's what's open and closed on Presidents Day, from Costco to banks Abraham Lincoln pardoned Biden's great-great-granddad, documents show Is tax preparation software worth it? Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2024 In December, Biden issued a proclamation that would pardon those convicted of certain marijuana offenses, building on last year's historic pardon for federal offenders of simple marijuana possession. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 President Katalin Novak, Orban’s loyal but largely impotent ally, resigned last Saturday amid public furor over her decision in April 2023 to pardon the deputy director of a children’s home who had helped to cover up the abuse of underaged boys. Christian Edwards, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pardon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French pardun, pardoun, from parduner

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French parduner, from Late Latin perdonare to grant freely, from Latin per- thoroughly + donare to give — more at parboil, donation

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pardon was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pardon

Cite this Entry

“Pardon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pardon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pardon

1 of 2 noun
par·​don ˈpärd-ᵊn How to pronounce pardon (audio)
: the excusing of an offense without a penalty
pardonable
ˈpärd-nə-bəl
-ᵊn-ə-bəl
adjective
pardonably
-blē
adverb

pardon

2 of 2 verb
pardoned; pardoning ˈpärd-niŋ How to pronounce pardon (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to free from penalty
2
: to forgive an offense

Legal Definition

pardon

noun
par·​don
1
: a release from the legal penalties of an offense
2
: an official warrant of remission of penalty as an act of clemency compare commute
3
: excuse or forgiveness for a fault or offense
pardon transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pardon

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