pardon

American  

[pahr-dn] / ˈpɑr dn /

noun

1. kind indulgence, as in forgiveness of an offense or discourtesy or in tolerance of a distraction or inconvenience.

   I beg your pardon, but which way is Spruce Street?

2. Law.

   1. a release from the penalty of an offense; a remission of penalty, as by a governor.

   2. the document by which such remission is declared.

3. forgiveness of a serious offense or offender.

   Synonyms:

   remission, absolution

4. Obsolete. a papal indulgence.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make courteous allowance for or to excuse.

   Pardon me, madam.

   Antonyms:

   blame, censure

2. to release (a person) from liability for an offense.

   Synonyms:

   clear, acquit

3. to remit the penalty of (an offense).

   The governor will not pardon your crime.

   Synonyms:

   overlook, condone, absolve, forgive

interjection

1. (used, with rising inflection, as an elliptical form of I beg your pardon, as when asking a speaker to repeat something not clearly heard or understood.)

pardon British  

/ ˈpɑːdən /

verb

1. to excuse or forgive (a person) for (an offence, mistake, etc)

   to pardon someone

   to pardon a fault

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noun

1. forgiveness; allowance

2. 1. release from punishment for an offence

   2. the warrant granting such release

3. a Roman Catholic indulgence

1. Also: pardon me.   I beg your pardon. 

   1. sorry; excuse me

   2. what did you say?

pardon Idioms  

1. see beg to differ; excuse me.

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Synonym Usage

Pardon, amnesty, reprieve are nouns referring to the cancellation, or delay with the possibility of eventual cancellation, of a punishment or penalty assigned for the violation of a military regulation or a civil law; absolution from guilt is not implied, merely a remission of the penalty. A pardon is granted to an individual, often by the action of a government official such as a governor, president, or monarch, and releases the individual from any punishment due for the infraction of the law, as a death sentence, prison term, or fine: to be released from prison with a full pardon. An amnesty is a pardon granted to a group of persons for past offenses against a government; it often includes an assurance of no future prosecution: to grant amnesty to political prisoners; an amnesty period for delinquent taxpayers during which no penalties are assessed. A reprieve is a delay of impending punishment, especially a death sentence; it does not cancel or remit the punishment, it simply delays it, usually for a specific period of time or until a decision can be arrived at as to the possibility of pardon or reduction of sentence: a last-minute reprieve, allowing the filing of an appeal to the Supreme Court. See excuse.

Other Word Forms

• nonpardoning
  adjective
• pardonable
  adjective
• pardonableness
  noun
• pardonably
  adverb
• pardonless
  adjective
• unpardonable
  adjective
• unpardonably
  adverb
• unpardoned
  adjective
• unpardoning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pardon

First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English pardoun(e), from Old French, Middle French pardon, pardun, perdun ( French pardon ), from Medieval Latin perdōnum ; (verb) Middle English pardonen, perdonen, from Anglo-French, Old French pardoner, perduner ( French pardonner), from Medieval Latin perdōnāre “to give freely, overlook,” equivalent to Latin intensive prefix per- per- + dōnāre “to give,” see donation

Explanation

If you belch, interrupt a conversation, or leave the table during dinner, you’re expected to say “Pardon me.” Once you’ve requested your companions’ pardon, or forgiveness, you can assume you have it; you don’t need to wait for their response. The word pardon often occurs in the phrases “Pardon me” and “I beg your pardon.” (While “I beg your pardon” literally means “I request your forgiveness,” it’s used to indicate that the speaker did not hear what was just said.) Outside of these everyday phrases, pardon is typically used in formal or legal situations. If the president pardons a criminal, for example, the criminal is forgiven in the sense that he or she no longer has to serve the penalty for the crime.

Example Sentences

Yet the pardon power is circumscribed: It applies only to criminal “offenses,” excluding impeachments.

From Slate • May 26, 2026

An appeals court in December ordered a new trial, which took place Monday and resulted in his pardon.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

Trump had announced the pardon on social media on 28 November, just two days before the general election in Honduras.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

But in a world of $5-per-gallon gas, the Optiq is getting a lot of looks, pardon the pun.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

“Begging your pardon, ma’am, it wasn’t a billiard saloon, but a gymnasium, and I was taking a lesson in fencing.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Related Words

• absolution
• allowance
• amnesty
• clemency
• mercy
• remission
• reprieve