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Pardon

v. kind, calm warm

What it means

Meaning 1

To forgive an offense and stop holding it against the person responsible.

Reach for it when describing personal forgiveness without pretending that no harm occurred

After the repair and apology, Lena chose to pardon the careless mistake.

Meaning 2

To release someone officially from a legal penalty.

Reach for it when describing a formal act of clemency by an authorized official

The governor agreed to pardon the applicant after the conviction was reviewed.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
everyday
warm
professional
formal
literary

Meaning 1: To forgive an offense and stop holding it against the person responsible.

  • everyday

    excuse

    Fits when a minor fault is overlooked

    Careful Excuse can minimize conduct that requires accountability and repair.

  • everyday

    overlook

    Fits when a small lapse is intentionally not pursued

    Careful Overlooking can suggest the problem was ignored rather than forgiven.

  • warm

    forgive

    Fits when a person lets go of resentment after harm

    Careful Forgiveness does not erase legal liability or restore trust automatically.

  • formal

    absolve

    Fits when someone is freed from blame or moral responsibility

    Careful It is stronger than pardon if responsibility for the act remains.

Meaning 2: To release someone officially from a legal penalty.

  • warm

    show mercy to

    Fits when compassion tempers a deserved consequence

    Careful Mercy is a broader concept; it does not identify a formal legal power.

  • professional

    amnesty

    Fits when a class of people receives official protection from prosecution

    Careful Amnesty is usually collective and cannot replace pardon for one ordinary offense.

  • formal

    grant clemency to

    Fits when an authority reduces or removes punishment

    Careful Clemency includes commutation and reprieve, not only a full pardon.

  • literary

    reprieve

    Fits when punishment is postponed or someone gains temporary relief

    Careful A reprieve delays a consequence rather than forgiving the offense.

Opposites 4

  • condemn
  • blame
  • punish
  • prosecute

Common phrases 4

  • pardon an offense

    She could pardon an offense while still asking for the damage to be repaired.

  • receive a pardon

    The archivist found evidence that helped the prisoner receive a pardon.

  • officially pardon

    Only the designated authority could officially pardon the convicted man.

  • seek a pardon

    The new evidence allowed the family to seek a pardon through the formal process.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated