as in excusable
worthy of forgiveness
the new parents' gushing pride was pardonable
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Recent Examples of pardonable
All this is to say that any excesses of enthusiasm for Friday (and Thursday) might seem pardonable, although each day reached the thermal pinnacle of the 80s.
—
Martin Weil, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
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
Martin Weil, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pardonable
Adjective
-
In hindsight, his decision to betray his budding mentee, Han, was perfectly justifiable.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Although the initial school closures may have been justifiable (even if off-script in many locations), there was no plan on when and how to reopen.—
David Zweig,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This would have encouraged him at sensitive ages and times in his life to seriously think about the distinctions between sins of omission and sins of commission, between white lies and perjury, between venial and mortal sins, and the relationship between knowledge, intention, and guilt.—
Michael Brendan Dougherty,
National Review,
5 Mar. 2021
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But logging off—and returning to the sphere in which people are apt to forgive one another for venial affronts—is no longer an option.—
Becca Rothfeld,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Pardonable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pardonable. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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