condone

verb

con·done | \kən-ˈdōn

condoned; condoning

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

Other Words from condone Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about condone

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Did You Know?

Since some folks don't condone even minor usage slips, you might want to get the meaning of this word straight. Although English speakers sometimes use "condone" with the intended meaning "approve of" or "encourage," the more established meaning is closer to "pardon" or "overlook." "Condone" comes from the Latin verb condonare, which means "to absolve." "Condonare" in turn combines the Latin prefix con-, indicating thoroughness, and donare, meaning "to give" or "to grant." Not surprisingly, "donare" is also the source of our words "donate" and "pardon."

Examples of condone in a Sentence

"I don't condone violence, and I think 'gangsta rap' should be outlawed," says [designer Tommy] Hilfiger … — Joshua Levine, Forbes, 21 Apr. 1997 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 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 a government that has been accused of condoning racism he is too quick to condone his friend's faults

Recent Examples on the Web

Chris and Marilyn don't condone their son's behavior. — Emma Kate Fittes, Indianapolis Star, "A Carmel High School student's suicide raises questions over how schools discipline kids," 11 July 2018 But Oscar Hammerstein never condoned violence against women. — Corby Kummer, The Atlantic, "How Do Carousel and My Fair Lady Fare in 2018?," 8 July 2018 Some defenders of Trump's executive branch power do not condone his methods. — Richard Wolf, USA TODAY, "As Trump's travel ban (finally) reaches Supreme Court, his talk and tweets remain center stage," 24 Apr. 2018 The post generated a spate of replies, including many that appear to condone violence against Kruze. — Jeff Mcdonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Reporter accuses El Cajon councilman of attempted assault involving 'attack dog'," 6 July 2018 The federal civil rights lawsuit filed in August 2016 claimed the complex's policies and practices included inadequate training, failure to discipline employee misconduct and condoning workers' violations of patients' civil rights. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mother opposes father's share of settlement in son's death at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex," 6 July 2018 Even Canadians now accustomed to Trump's complaints about Canada were mystified at the harsh comments from his advisers, comments that were clearly condoned by the President himself. — Paula Newton And Julia Jones, CNN, "Canadians to Trump: Blame Canada, really?," 11 June 2018 Her disgusting comments and show are not fit for broadcast, and executives at Time Warner and TBS must demonstrate that such explicit profanity about female members of this administration will not be condoned on its network. — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, "The Samantha Bee and Ivanka Trump C*ntroversy, Explained," 31 May 2018 This culture was perpetuated and condoned by numbers managers, including high level company leaders. — Johana Bhuiyan, Recode, "A former Uber engineer is suing the company for discrimination and sexual harassment," 21 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'condone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.