condone

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 No witness has suggested that USC condoned this scheme, tacitly or otherwise. — NBC News, "Lori Loughlin daughter Olivia Jade's fake athletic profile said she was champion rower," 11 Feb. 2020 Embracing civil rights for LGBTQ Americans without condoning homosexuality in the church was an attempt at compromise. — Scott T. Vehstedt, The Conversation, "Gay rights dispute is pulling apart the United Methodist Church, after decades of argument," 27 Jan. 2020 No school would provide landing space for a student’s fighter jet, or condone the disruption the jet’s use would cause. — Matt Parker, Wired, "Bad Math, Pepsi Points, and the Greatest Plane Non-Crash Ever," 23 Jan. 2020 Now Republicans denigrate the Department of Justice, trash the FBI, and condone the Trump administration’s refusal to honor lawful subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives. — Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, "Letters: Trump stood against Russia in the Ukraine; A fair hearing in the Senate is essential for justice (12/19/19)," 18 Dec. 2019 As a culturally responsive school system, Birmingham City Schools takes issues like this very seriously and does not condone the graphic nature of this lesson on special effects. — al, "Fake bullet wound painted on second-grader angers mom," 16 Oct. 2019 But their independence is itself confined; their relationship can flourish on this remote island, but would never be condoned by the outside world. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "The Most Enthralling Movie of the Year," 4 Dec. 2019 Nobody condones attacks such as the setting on fire of a man who argued with pro-democracy protesters. — Tripti Lahiri, Quartz, "Hong Kong’s protesters embody what it means to be driven by democratic ideals," 23 Nov. 2019 The Rajapaksa brothers are also accused of condoning rape and extrajudicial killings and deliberately targeting civilians and hospitals during the war. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Muslims attacked Saturday were part of a convoy organized by Premadasa’s supporters taking them back to vote in the northern district of Mannar. Many Muslims fled the area in 1982, when the Tamil insurgency began to grow, and others were evicted from the north in 1990.," 17 Nov. 2019

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.