condone

verb con·done \ kən-ˈdōn \

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

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Examples: condone in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of condone

condoned; condoning

transitive verb

: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

a government accused of condoning racism

condone corruption in politics

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condonable

play \kən-ˈdō-nə-bəl\ adjective

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condoner

noun

See condone defined for English-language learners

See condone defined for kids

condone was our Word of the Day on 09/20/2011. Hear the podcast!

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 of condone from the Web

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
Both women received immediate backlash for condoning the racial slur and apologizing in a manner that many deemed disrespectful.

— alisha acquaye, Teen Vogue, "How Beauty Brands Are Profiting Off Racism," 26 Jan. 2018
This time the master chief seemed to be able to condone my presence at the work end of the mop.

— popular mechanics editors, Popular Mechanics, "15 Things My Father Taught Me," 17 June 2016
Bateman appeared to be trying to excuse or condone Tambor's behavior during the incident.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Arrested Development," 24 May 2018
The suit alleges that the police chief at the time, James Debbie, did not take any action and might have even condoned the antics.

— scott berson, miamiherald, "Cops harassed other cops with Big Blue the sex toy and dipped genitals on food, NJ lawsuit says | Miami Herald," 18 May 2018
Patrick Melrose stars Cumberbatch as a man struggling to overcome damage inflicted by an abusive father and the mother who condoned his behavior.

— lesley goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Showtime Expands Originals to Saturdays With Benedict Cumberbatch Drama," 16 Mar. 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.

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."

Origin and Etymology of condone

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1805

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

condone Synonyms

Phrases

close one's eyes to, forgive and forget;

Synonym Discussion of 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.