Pardon Definition

pärdn

pardoned, pardons

verb

pardoned, pardons

To release (a person) from further punishment for a crime.

Webster's New World

To allow (an offense or fault) to pass without punishment or disfavor.

American Heritage

To cancel or not exact penalty for (an offense); forgive.

Webster's New World

To make courteous allowance for; excuse.

Pardon me, I'm in a hurry.

American Heritage

To excuse or forgive (a person) for some minor fault, discourtesy, etc.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

pardons

The act of pardoning.

American Heritage

Exemption of a convicted person from the penalties of an offense or crime by the power of the executor of the laws.

American Heritage

A pardoning or being pardoned; forgiveness.

Webster's New World

An official document granting a pardon; specif., a document granting a Church indulgence, esp. as sold by medieval pardoners.

Webster's New World

An indulgence.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

interjection

Pardon me: a mild apology.

Webster's New World

Please repeat what you have said: a request for information or clarification, often with the rising intonation of a question.

Webster's New World

Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.

Pardon?, What did you say?, Can you say that again?

Wiktionary

idiom

I beg your pardon!

excuse me!

Webster's New World

pardon me

excuse me (see phrase under excuse

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Pardon

Noun

Singular:

pardon

Plural:

pardons

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Pardon

Origin of Pardon

Middle English pardonen from Old French pardoner from Vulgar Latin *perdonare, from per- + donare, a loan-translation 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 forÄ¡iefan (“to forgive"). More at forgive.

From Wiktionary
Middle English pardonen from Old French pardoner from Vulgar Latin perdōnāre to give wholeheartedly Latin per- intensive pref. per– Latin dōnāre to present, forgive (from dōnum gift dō- in Indo-European roots)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition