Adjacent Words

Pardon definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

P`ARDON, v.t. [L. per and dono, to give; per having the sense of the English for in forgive, and re in L. remitto, properly to give back or away.]
1. To forgive; to remit; as an offense or crime. Guilt implies a being bound or subjected to censure, penalty or punishment. To pardon, is to give up this obligation, and release the offender. We apply the word to the crime or to the person. We pardon an offense, when we remove it from the offender and consider him as not guilty; we pardon the offender, when we release or absolve him from his liability to suffer punishment.
I pray thee, pardon my sin. 2 Samuel 15.
2. To remit, as a penalty.
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
3. To excuse, as for a fault.
4. Pardon me, is a phrase used when one asks for excuse, or makes an apology, and it is often used in this sense, when a person means civilly to deny or contradict what another affirms.
P`ARDON, n. Forgiveness; the release of an offense or of the obligation of the offender to suffer a penalty, or to bear the displeasure of the offended party. We seek the pardon of sins, transgressions and offenses.
1. Remission of a penalty. An amnesty is a general pardon.
2. Forgiveness received.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the act of excusing a mistake or offense [syn: forgiveness, pardon]
2: a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense [syn: pardon, amnesty]
3: the formal act of liberating someone [syn: amnesty, pardon, free pardon] v
1: accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands" [syn: excuse, pardon]
2: grant a pardon to; "Ford pardoned Nixon"; "The Thanksgiving turkey was pardoned by the President"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French pardun, pardoun, from parduner Date: 14th century 1. indulgence 1 2. the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty 3. a. a release from the legal penalties of an offense b. an official warrant of remission of penalty 4. excuse or forgiveness for a fault, offense, or discourtesy <I beg your pardon> II. transitive verb (pardoned; pardoning) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French parduner, from Late Latin perdonare to grant freely, from Latin per- thoroughly + donare to give — more at parboil, donation Date: 15th century 1. a. to absolve from the consequences of a fault or crime b. to allow (an offense) to pass without punishment ; forgive c. to relieve of a penalty improperly assessed 2. tolerate Synonyms: see excuse

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n., v., & int. --n. 1 the act of excusing or forgiving an offence, error, etc. 2 (in full free pardon) a remission of the legal consequences of a crime or conviction. 3 RC Ch. an indulgence. --v.tr. 1 release from the consequences of an offence, error, etc. 2 forgive or excuse a person for (an offence etc.). 3 make (esp. courteous) allowances for; excuse. --int. (also pardon me or I beg your pardon) 1 a formula of apology or disagreement. 2 a request to repeat something said. Derivatives: pardonable adj. pardonably adv. Etymology: ME f. OF pardun, pardoner f. med.L perdonare concede, remit (as PER-, donare give)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pardon Par"don, n. [F., fr. pardonner to pardon. See Pardon, v. t.] 1. The act of pardoning; forgiveness, as of an offender, or of an offense; release from penalty; remission of punishment; absolution. Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings. --Shak. But infinite in pardon was my judge. --Milton. Usage: Used in expressing courteous denial or contradiction; as, I crave your pardon; or in indicating that one has not understood another; as, I beg pardon. 2. An official warrant of remission of penalty. Sign me a present pardon for my brother. --Shak. 3. The state of being forgiven. --South. 4. (Law) A release, by a sovereign, or officer having jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being distinguished from amenesty, which is a general obliteration and canceling of a particular line of past offenses. Syn: Forgiveness; remission. See Forgiveness.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pardon Par"don, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pardoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Pardoning.] [Either fr. pardon, n., or from F. pardonner, LL. perdonare; L. per through, thoroughly, perfectly + donare to give, to present. See Par-, and Donation.] 1. To absolve from the consequences of a fault or the punishment of crime; to free from penalty; -- applied to the offender. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant. --2 Kings v. 18. I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily, pardom me. --Shak. 2. To remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass without punishment; to forgive; -- applied to offenses. I pray thee, pardon my sin. --1 S??. xv. 25. Apollo, pardon My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle ? --Shak. 3. To refrain from exacting as a penalty. I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it. --Shak. 4. To give leave (of departure) to. [Obs.] Even now about it! I will pardon you. --Shak. Pardon me, forgive me; excuse me; -- a phrase used also to express courteous denial or contradiction. Syn: To forgive; absolve; excuse; overlook; remit; acquit. See Excuse.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pardon Pardon, remission remission Usage: Forgiveness, Pardon. Forgiveness is Anglo-Saxon, and pardon Norman French, both implying a giving back. The word pardon, being early used in our Bible, has, in religious matters, the same sense as forgiveness; but in the language of common life there is a difference between them, such as we often find between corresponding Anglo-Saxon and Norman words. Forgive points to inward feeling, and suppose alienated affection; when we ask forgiveness, we primarily seek the removal of anger. Pardon looks more to outward things or consequences, and is often applied to trifling matters, as when we beg pardon for interrupting a man, or for jostling him in a crowd. The civil magistrate also grants a pardon, and not forgiveness. The two words are, therefore, very clearly distinguished from each other in most cases which relate to the common concerns of life. Forgiver For*giv"er, n. One who forgives. --Johnson.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pardons, pardoning, pardoned) 1. You say 'Pardon?' or 'I beg your pardon?' or, in American English, 'Pardon me?' when you want someone to repeat what they have just said because you have not heard or understood it. (SPOKEN) 'Will you let me open it?'—'Pardon?'—'Can I open it?'... CONVENTION [formulae] 2. People say 'I beg your pardon?' when they are surprised or offended by something that someone has just said. (SPOKEN) 'Would you get undressed, please?'—'I beg your pardon?'—'Will you get undressed?' CONVENTION [feelings] 3. You say 'I beg your pardon' or 'I do beg your pardon' as a way of apologizing for accidentally doing something wrong, such as disturbing someone or making a mistake. (SPOKEN) I was impolite and I do beg your pardon... CONVENTION [formulae] 4. Some people say 'Pardon me' instead of 'Excuse me' when they want to politely get someone's attention or interrupt them. (mainly BRIT SPOKEN; in AM, use excuse me) Pardon me, are you finished, madam? CONVENTION [formulae] 5. You can say things like 'Pardon me for asking' or 'Pardon my frankness' as a way of showing you understand that what you are going to say may sound rude. (SPOKEN) That, if you'll pardon my saying so, is neither here nor there. CONVENTION [politeness] 6. Some people say things like 'If you'll pardon the expression' or 'Pardon my French' just before or after saying something which they think might offend people. (SPOKEN) It's enough to make you wet yourself, if you'll pardon the expression. CONVENTION [formulae] 7. If someone who has been found guilty of a crime is pardoned, they are officially allowed to go free and are not punished. Hundreds of political prisoners were pardoned and released. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed • Pardon is also a noun. He was granted a presidential pardon. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

the forgiveness of sins granted freely (Isa. 43:25), readily (Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:5), abundantly (Isa. 55:7; Rom. 5:20). Pardon is an act of a sovereign, in pure sovereignty, granting simply a remission of the penalty due to sin, but securing neither honour nor reward to the pardoned. Justification (q.v.), on the other hand, is the act of a judge, and not of a sovereign, and includes pardon and, at the same time, a title to all the rewards and blessings promised in the covenant of life.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

par'-d'n, par'-dun.

See FORGIVENESS.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Remit, overlook, pass over, forgive, condone. 2. Forgive (especially for a grave offence), absolve, excuse, acquit, discharge, release, clear. II. n. Forgiveness (especially of a grave offence after conviction, and granted to a specified person), remission (of a penalty incurred), absolution, grace, mercy.

Moby Thesaurus

absolution, absolve, accept, acquit, acquittal, acquittance, allow, allowance, amnesty, benevolence, clear, clearance, clearing, clemency, commiseration, compassion, compurgation, condolence, condonation, condone, decontaminate, destigmatization, destigmatize, destigmatizing, discharge, disculpation, dismiss, dismissal, dispense from, exculpate, exculpation, excusal, excuse, exempt, exempt from, exemption, exonerate, exoneration, favor, feeling, forbear, forbearance, forgive, forgiveness, forgiving, free, give absolution, give quarter, grace, grant amnesty to, grant forgiveness, grant immunity, grant remission, have mercy upon, have pity, humanity, immunity, indemnification, indemnity, indulge, indulgence, justification, justify, kindness, leniency, let go, let off, let up on, liberate, melt, mercy, mitigation, nonpros, overlook, overlooking, pathos, pity, purgation, purge, purging, quarter, quash the charge, quietus, quittance, redemption, relax, release, relent, relief, remission, remission of sin, remit, reprieve, ruth, self-pity, set free, shrift, shrive, small-town, spare, sparing, sympathy, take pity on, thaw, tolerate, verdict of acquittal, vindicate, vindication, whitewash, withdraw the charge