pardonable

adjective

par·​don·​able ˈpärd-nə-bəl How to pronounce pardonable (audio)
ˈpär-dᵊn-ə-bəl
: admitting of being pardoned : excusable
pardonable offenses
pardonableness noun
pardonably
ˈpärd-nə-blē How to pronounce pardonable (audio)
ˈpär-dᵊn-ə-blē
adverb

Examples of pardonable in a Sentence

It was a pardonable mistake. the new parents' gushing pride was pardonable
Recent Examples on the Web According to Cohen, because misdemeanor possession of marijuana is now a pardonable offense, Department of Justice guidelines would not permit a plea to that effect. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 What happened, then, was surely a result of a pardonable misunderstanding. New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020 In this case, to be fair, the length is a pardonable fault, for there is plenty here on which to feast. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019 However, no one went hungry, and after a wholly pardonable delay all were accommodated. San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2019 But now, without any provocation, and without the justification of reprisal or retaliation, a refusal to outlaw the use of the bomb save in reprisal is making a political purpose of its possession; this is hardly pardonable. Rosa Inocencio Smith, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pardonable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pardonable

Cite this Entry

“Pardonable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pardonable. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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