reprieve

verb

re·prieve | \ ri-ˈprēv

reprieved; reprieving

Definition of reprieve

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to delay the punishment of (someone, such as a condemned prisoner)

2 : to give relief or deliverance to for a time

reprieve

noun

re·prieve | \ ri-ˈprēv

Definition of reprieve (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act of reprieving : the state of being reprieved

b : a formal temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence especially of death

2 : an order or warrant for a temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence

3 : a temporary respite (as from pain or trouble)

Examples of reprieve in a Sentence

Verb

And many murderers have been reprieved because they were condemned for the wrong murder, quite probably just as many as have been executed for the only murder they did not in fact commit. — Christopher Hitchens, Nation, 14 May 2001 In a postscript to the very same letter, he added, 'If he must die, it were charity to reprieve him till Saturday.' If there had been any doubt of his fate, this weakness and meanness would have settled it. The very next day, which was the twelfth of May, he was brought out to be beheaded on Tower Hill. — Charles Dickens, A Child's History of England, 1854 He was sentenced to death but then reprieved. The library has been reprieved and will remain open for at least another year.

Noun

In Baghdad, you learn to savor small pleasures. When the weather turned unexpectedly cool one recent evening … , people emptied out of their houses, braving the ever present threat of violence in order to enjoy a brief reprieve from the heat. — Aparisim Ghosh, Time, 11 July 2005 Six days later Captain Dufranne announced that they would sail early on the morrow. Jane would have begged for a further reprieve, had it not been that she too had begun to believe that her forest lover would return no more. — Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, 1914 It may be, on the other hand, that the destruction of the Martians is only a reprieve. To them, and not to us, perhaps, is the future ordained. — H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, 1898 That he did not regard it as a desperate case, that he did not say a few hours must end it, was at first felt, beyond the hope of most; and the ecstasy of such a reprieve, the rejoicing, deep and silent, after a few fervent ejaculations of gratitude to Heaven had been offered, may be conceived. — Jane Austen, Persuasion, 1817 Death, that inexorable judge, had passed sentence on him, and refused to grant him a reprieve, though two doctors who arrived, and were fee'd at one and the same instant, were his counsel. — Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749 They wanted to close the library, but we managed to get a reprieve for it. This warm spell has given us a reprieve from the winter cold.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Tyner, luckily, was reprieved; such stories aren’t foreign to the longtime Philadelphia radio personality. — Brandon T. Harden, Philly.com, "Rare interviews of Run DMC, The Roots, Jay-Z, and others have been unearthed through this Philly radio host's new podcast," 25 Apr. 2018 Reprieved from collapse, the Ottoman Empire’s government pursued radical reforms. — The Economist, "If the Ottoman Empire had not collapsedHad the Ottoman Empire been saved rather than sunk," 13 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The speech is now occurring during a three-week reprieve in which Congress is supposed to figure out how to fund the government and secure the southern border in a way that both Trump and Democrats can support. — Colby Itkowitz, The Seattle Times, "6 things to watch for in Trump’s State of the Union address," 5 Feb. 2019 Although travelers would welcome any reprieve from rising airfares, investors worry airlines are losing pricing power as more seats remain on the market, which could cut into profits. — Alison Sider, WSJ, "American Airlines’ Profit Warning Sends Carrier Shares Lower," 10 Jan. 2019 Leaders of the District’s public schools had sharply criticized the emergency reprieve. — Fenit Nirappil, Washington Post, "In first-ever veto, Bowser denies diplomas to chronically absent students," 12 July 2018 After dovish language from the Federal Reserve boosted markets Wednesday, investors got another reprieve Thursday. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "What the Fed Giveth, China Taketh Away," 31 Jan. 2019 Hakstol at the time got a reprieve while team President Paul Holmgren searched for a GM. — Stephen Whyno, The Seattle Times, "Flyers fire coach Dave Hakstol, Gordon interim replacement," 17 Dec. 2018 His reprieve outraged civil rights groups and some Republican critics of the President, such as Sen. John McCain, who said the move undermined respect for the rule of law because Arpaio had shown no remorse for his actions. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump has many motivations -- but power rules them all," 1 June 2018 Thursday’s setback adds to Mrs. May’s woes and could make her political reprieve at home on Wednesday short-lived. — Valentina Pop, WSJ, "Europe Stands Firm on Brexit Despite May’s Push for Help," 13 Dec. 2018 If your phone storage is being filled up by gigabytes and gigabytes of photos and videos, Google Photos is your reprieve. — Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge, "These are the apps we love to recommend," 6 Dec. 2018

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