pardon
verb
- forgive
- relieve of guilt
noun
- forgiveness of a crime and the cancellation of the relevant penalty
- forgiveness for a minor social misstep.
interjection
- excuse me?
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpɑːdn̩/ / /ˈpɑɹdn̩/ / [ˈpʰɑ˞dn̩]
intj
Etymology: From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.
- Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.
noun
Etymology: From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.
- Forgiveness for an offence.
“[…] a step, that could not be taken with the least hope of ever obtaining pardon from or reconciliation with any of my friends; […]”
“According to this logic, the pardons Balteira gained on her pilgrimage should have revirginated her, and would have if she had an 'iron box', or a firm dedication to her Christian faith, with which to guard her chastity.””
- An order that releases a convicted criminal without further punishment, prevents future punishment, or (in some jurisdictions) removes an offence from a person's criminal record, as if it had never been committed.
“The President[…]shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from July^([sic – meaning January]) 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.
- To forgive (a person).
“O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, / That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!”
“I hope you will not find he has outstepped the truth more than may be pardoned, in consideration of the motive.”
- To refrain from exacting as a penalty.
“I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.”
- To grant an official pardon for a crime.
“The murderer, he recalled, had been tried and sentenced to imprisonment for life, but was pardoned by a merciful governor after serving a year of his sentence.”
“In that situation, that memo would include a list of individuals that Biden might consider pardoning preemptively, the context about any prior legal precedent, and a discussion of the wide range of potential ramifications if the president does move forward with these pardons.”