condone

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