condone
verb
- to forgive or overlook (an offense)
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /kənˈdoʊn/ / /kənˈdəʊn/
verb
Etymology: Learned borrowing from Latin condōnāre (“to forgive”).
- To forgive, excuse or overlook (something that is considered morally wrong, offensive, or generally disliked).
“‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police[…]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?”
- To allow, accept or permit (something that is considered morally wrong, offensive, or generally disliked).
“Rule-utilitarianism is unlikely to condone torturing a child, but it does imply that the torturing of a child is less evil if the torturer shares his pleasure with other sadists-perhaps by inviting an audience, or broadcasting it on the Internet.”
- To forgive (marital infidelity or other marital offense).