pardon

UK: /ˈpɑː^rd^ən/ US: /ˈpɑrdən/ ,(pär′dn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

par•don /ˈpɑrdən/   n. 

[countable]
1. forgiveness for a wrong done to one:
   I beg your pardon.
2. Law
   • Law a legal release from the punishment for an unlawful act, given by a government official:
     The president issued him a full and complete pardon.

v. [~ + object]

3. (used without a subject as a polite command) to excuse;
   forgive:
   Pardon me for interfering.
4. to release (a person) from the penalty for an unlawful act.

interj. 

5. (used with a rise in the voice at the end, when asking another speaker to repeat something):
   Pardon? I didn't quite catch that.

par•don•a•ble, adj. 
par•don•er, n. [countable]
Synonyms

See excuse.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

par•don  (pär′dn), n. 

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
   • a release from the penalty of an offense;
     a remission of penalty, as by a governor.
   • the document by which such remission is declared.
3. forgiveness of a serious offense or offender.
4. [Obs.] a papal indulgence.

v.t. 

5. to make courteous allowance for or to excuse:
   Pardon me, madam.
6. to release (a person) from liability for an offense.
7. to remit the penalty of (an offense):
   The governor will not pardon your crime.

interj. 

8. (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.)

• Medieval Latin perdōnāre to remit, overlook, literally, to forgive, equivalent. to Latin per- for- (see per-) + dōnāre to give; see donate; Medieval Latin verb, verbal perh. a translation from Gmc
• Old French pardon (noun, nominal) remission, indulgence, noun, nominal derivative of pardoner (verb, verbal)
• Middle English (noun, nominal and verb, verbal) 1250–1300

par′don•a•ble, adj. 
par′don•a•ble•ness, n. 
par′don•a•bly, adv. 
par′don•less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 3. absolution, remission.
  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.
• 6. acquit, clear. See excuse. 
• 7. forgive, absolve, condone, overlook.

Antonyms

• 5. censure, blame.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

pardon / ˈpɑːd^ən/ verb (transitive)

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

noun

1. forgiveness; allowance
2. release from punishment for an offence
3. the warrant granting such release
4. a Roman Catholic indulgence

sentence_substitute

1. Also: pardon me, I beg your pardon sorry; excuse me
2. what did you say?

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French, from Medieval Latin perdōnum, from perdōnāre to forgive freely, from Latin per (intensive) + dōnāre to grant

ˈpardonable adjective

ˈpardonably adverb